Tag Archives: Ireland
‘Fishing in Ireland was sold out during the Brexit talks’ – Fishing families to stage rally in Dublin
Adrian McClenaghan is deeply proud of the fact four generations of his family have fished off the Irish coast. “But none of us faced the crisis that Shaun now faces in the industry. Fishing in Ireland was sold out during the Brexit talks. If this continues without the Government taking firm action to save our industry, there won’t be a future in the sector for the next generation of young fishermen.” The Donegal skipper and father-of-four will be one of the keynote speakers at a rally in Dublin on Wednesday,,,>click to read< 07:40
Irish Fishing fleet could be ‘slashed’ because of Brexit,
Ireland’s fishing fleet is likely to be slashed because of Brexit, an interim Government report on the impact of Brexit on the fishing industry has concluded. The cuts will, the Government hopes, ensure those left in the industry can survive on a “sustainable” footing. While measures being discussed include a temporary voluntary cessation scheme for fishers, other measures include cutting the number of vessels in the fleet altogether. >click to read< 18:55
Fishermen to stage protest in Dublin to highlight threat to income from Brexit and EU fish quota cuts
The protest will take place on Wednesday, June 23 and will include boats from Dublin, Louth, Donegal, Wexford, Waterford, Kerry, Cork and other counties.,, Irish fishing groups warned their livelihoods are now at stake because of quota cutbacks and the impact of the Brexit deal. “We want a renegotiation of EU Common Fisheries Policy so that Ireland is allocated a fair share of fish quotas that reflect the contribution of our fishing grounds to the EU,” a spokesperson said. Irish fishermen have also demanded that traditional access to fishing grounds around Rockall be reinstated immediately. >click to read< 10:50
UNITE TO FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE – On 23rd June, Irish fishermen plan to take their campaign to Dublin
A flotilla of over 60 fishing vessels steamed into Cork City last month to protest over quota cuts, the Brexit Deal, SFPA failures and the disastrous EU Common Fisheries Policy. The flotilla consisting of boats from Dingle, Castletownbere, Baltimore, Union Hall, Ballycotton, Kinsale, Dunmore East, Crosshaven, Kilmore Quay and other fishing communities steamed in single file from Roches Point, at the mouth of the harbour, to the docks in Cork city centre for a rally that was attended by nearly a thousand fishermen, friends and family. On 23rd June, Irish fishermen plan to take their campaign to raise public awareness of the plight of the industry to Dublin, building on the profile raised by the recent Cork Show & Tell demo by increasing the number of fishermen and families involved to include more inshore vessels and community groups from around Ireland’s coastal communities. >photos, click to read< 12:12
High Court rules SFPA breached law withholding approval of new industry owned and operated conveyor/fish-weighing system
The Sea Fisheries Protection Authority had argued it had not refused, but rather “deferred”, approval for the weighing system, known as a flowscales, last December after the European Commission informed it the use of an industry-owned, operated and maintained weighing system would not be appropriate and the system must be owned, operated and used by a public body. In a judgment, Mr Justice Garrett Simons said there was no legal basis for the “ownership” concerns raised by the Commission about the system and it was significant the Authority had not sought to argue otherwise in the proceedings. >click to read< 12:48
Vessel owner ordered to pay €170k ($206,193) to release trawler
Today skipper of the Punta Candieira, Vicente Meitin Sanjuan, appeared before Midleton District Court. State solicitor John Brosnan said charges were being brought under Sections 8 and 10 of the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act, 2006. The charges include unlawful fishing and being on board a vessel, which had unlawfully entered the waters of the State. He said a bond of €200,000 should be paid by the owners to release the vessel as there was valuable gear and a significant catch of hake on board. >click to read< 15:35
Tired of being “ignored” by politicians, Irish Fishermen to set up political movement
There is no name yet for the movement, but organisers are planning to hold a series of public meetings in coastal towns and villages. Patrick Murphy, CEO of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation, said the ambition is to organise a national “roadshow” to gauge opinion and to promote the need for more TDs dedicated to rural Ireland. He said: “We are sick of politicians promising us the earth while in opposition, only for them to ignore us when they get into power. >click to read< 16:57
Flotilla arrives in Cork City to deliver fishing industry warning – sail into Cork harbour to protest EU fisheries policy
About 60 fishing vessels assembled off Roches Point in Cork Harbour this morning to travel together in a flotilla up the River Lee and have no arrived in the Port of Cork at the heart of the city. The Irish South & West Fish Producers Organisation (ISWFPO) said thousands of jobs will be lost unless action is taken by the Government. “As a consequence of a series of draconian measures introduced by Government and the EU Commission, targeted against 
those working in the Irish fishing industry, Irish fishermen claim they will lose millions of euro of earnings if we are not given a fair share of the fish that swim in our waters,” it said in a statement. >click to read< Flotilla of trawlers and boats sail into Cork harbour to protest EU fisheries policy >click to read< 08:39
‘Hang your heads in shame’, Flotilla of 50 trawlers protest Brexit fishing quotas at Cork Harbour, a “direct assault” on their incomes
A flotilla of up to 50 trawlers formed at Cork Harbour on Wednesday morning calling for a fair fishing quota for Irish fishermen. A rally is due to take place later and fishermen will march to the Cork office of Taoiseach Micheál Martin in the city. >click to read< Fishermen say that their livelihoods have been decimated as a result of Brexit and fish quota cutbacks. Further protests are planned in Dublin, Donegal and Galway to highlight fears of Irish fishermen that they face being driven out of business over the coming months and years. >click to read<, ‘Hang your heads in shame’ – “Irish fishermen and women are seeking public support to save our fishing industry. >click to read< 07:30
Spanish Fishermen Who Crept Into Ireland, Under-Recorded, Got Pinched, Issued €9,000 Fine!
A Spanish fishing boat has sparked outrage in Ireland after it was caught deceptively under-recording the amount of fish it caught, in a move that is sure to set fuel to another debate about the EU’s unpopular Common Fisheries Policy. F/V Armaven Tres, was temporarily detained by inspectors in Castletownbere, a fishing town in West Cork, where the master was ‘fish slapped’ with a fine of €9,000 (£7,739). Castletownbere is located on the Beara Peninsula by Berehaven Harbour and is also known as Castletown Berehaven. A regionally important fishing port, the town also serves as a commercial and retail hub for the local hinterland. >click to read< 10:44
Four fishermen rescued from liferaft after fishing vessel fire off the Cork coast
Shortly before 2am this morning, Valentia Coast Guard was alerted to a fire on board the ‘Horizon’ fishing vessel around 20 miles south east of the Old Head of Kinsale. A multi-agency response co-ordinated by the Valentia Coast Guard,,, Within minutes of the mayday alert being issued, the crew abandoned the vessel to their liferaft as the fire had engulfed their boat. Shortly afterwards, the crew was recovered from their liferaft by the Offshore Supply ship Pathfinder that had been operating at the Kinsale Gas field. >photos, click to read< 07:52
The last cowboys – a replay of the story of cattle in the American West
Norway, a country less than a quarter the size of Alaska, is on pace to bring 1.2 million tonnes of salmon to market this year, and the technologists in that country are talking about the potential to grow their production to 3 million tonnes per year by 2030. Chile, Scotland, the Faroe Islands, and Canada are all significant producers with lesser production in Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, France, Ireland and Finland. Meanwhile, land-based, recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) farms are threatening to lead to an explosion in salmon aquaculture almost everywhere. To truly understand the threat these farmers pose to the future of one of Alaska’s oldest and still largest industries,,, >click to read< 08:52
Rescue operation off Castletownbere coast brought seven crewmen ashore from sinking fishing trawler
The dramatic rescue of seven crew members from the Ellie Adhamh fishing trawler last Saturday evening off the coast of Castletownbere in stormy conditions was the culmination of what was a prolonged and protracted two-day operation involving multiple rescue agencies. The Wexford-based fishing trawler lost power last Friday morning, 70 miles west of Bantry Bay in sea conditions of eight metres with wind gusting up to 4 knots. Marine water pumps and a handheld VHF radio were also transferred by the R115 to the fishing trawler on Saturday morning as it was taking in a lot of water. However, with sea conditions beginning to deteriorate in the later afternoon and with the vessel beginning to list, they made the decision to evacuate the crew. >click to read< 16:25
Catch of the day – Suspected World War II anti-aircraft gun hauled back!
The crew on the Waterford-based fishing vessel F/V Saltees Quest were astounded when they spotted a badly rusted metal object tangled in their nets as they operated off the south-east coast. It was most likely mounted on either a merchant vessel or coastal patrol craft for defence during World War II. However, such is the badly rusted nature of the object that it may very well date to World War I. One theory, as outlined by WLRFM presenter, fisheries author and local resident Damien Tiernan, is that the object is some kind of anti-aircraft gun. >click to read< 11:16
F/V Ellie Ádhamh: Imperiled fishing trawler goes down off Cork coast
The Coastguard at Valentia has confirmed that the fishing trawler, the Ellie Ádhamh, which spent a second night adrift off the Cork coast sank shortly before midday. Yesterday evening, the skipper and six crewmen were winched to safety by the Waterford-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter Rescue 117. The naval vessel LÉ George Bernard Shaw had attempted to tow the trawler to shore. However, the tow came adrift in heavy sea and swell conditions after the crew were taken off the trawler. >click to read< 08:31
F/V Ellie Ádhamh: Captain and 6 crewmen winched to safety by Irish Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue 117
An operation to tow the vessel to shore has been abandoned due to poor conditions. The trawler lost power and steering 80km off the west Cork coast yesterday. It was drifting for several hours in rough seas until the naval vessel LÉ George Bernard Shaw attached a tow earlier today. They were rescued 50km west of Mizen Head at around 7pm, in sea conditions described as “horrendous”. There was a six-metre swell and winds gusting at between 74 and 92kmph. >click to read< 21:28 Crew of stricken fishing vessel rescued in dramatic airlift operation off West Cork – Strong south westerly winds of up to 90kph and six metre swell were buffeting the fishing vessel under tow and a decision was taken around 5.30pm to airlift all seven crew members off the boat. a short video, >click to read<
Rescue operation resumes for disabled fishing trawler with seven aboard off the Cork coast Saturday
The Wexford-registered trawler, Ellie Adhamh, lost power early on Friday morning 130km off the Bull Rock in west Cork while returning from a prawn fishing trip in the Porcupine Bank. A major rescue operation was launched involving the Irish Coast Guard and the Naval Service and co-ordinated by the Irish Coast Guard Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre at Valentia Island. Force 4 westerly winds were whipping up big seas and a plan by a Bere Island tug, to go to assist the fishing vessel had to be abandoned after it was damaged by a large wave. >click to read< 07:39
Stricken vessel is being towed to safety off Cork coast – Local tugs attempted to assist the trawler, but one vessel was hit by a 10 metre wave, blowing out all the windows. It had to be assisted back to the shore by the RNLI. >click to read<
Seven crewmen remain aboard a stranded fishing trawler off Cork coast
Several crew members of a fishing trawler that’s drifting without power off the Cork coast are to remain on board the vessel overnight, with high winds and rough seas anticipated. The fishing vessel raised the alarm this morning when it lost power off the coast of Castletownbere, and it’s understood other trawlers in the area tried to offer assistance. An update from Rescue 115 reads: “The seven crew want to remain with the vessel at this time. Numerous other vessels on route,,, >click to read< 17:41
Rescue 115 has now returned to base after making two trips to the casualty vessel – >click to read<
Undersea cable owner seeks injunctions against trawler operators
The owners of two transatlantic communication under sea cables are seeking High Court injunctions preventing fishing boat owners from trawling near their property. The action has been brought by GTT Communications Inc and related entities Hibernia Express Ireland Ltd and Hibernia Atlantic Cable System Limited which run between Ireland, the UK, and Canada. The companies claim that the owners of several fishing vessels have been trawling in the waters near the cables. This it is claimed, poses a high risk of damage to the cables. >click to read< 14:06
A Chesapeake blue crab turned up on Dollymount Strand in Ireland
While the crab is not much to look at in terms of alien invaders, the National Biodiversity Data Centre has warned it is larger and more competitive than native crabs, and the female can lay up to six million eggs a year. Once in competition with the smaller Irish native crabs the American version – also known as the American blue crab, would be likely to take over, scientists fear. The appearance of the crab on Dollymount strand, where it was photographed last month by Ruth McManus, is the first recorded appearance of the crab on these shores. How it got here is a bit of a mystery, the centre says it hopes the “Dollymount One” is something of a one-off. >click to read< 15:40
Efforts to Break Deadlock Continue, Kilmore Quay Outlines its Fears – Last-ditch post-Brexit trade talks to resume between EU, UK
As efforts continue to agree a final Brexit deal, two Wexford fishermen have outlined on RTÉ Radio Countrywide how devastating loss of access to British waters will be. “Brexit is going to affect every port and harbour where fishing is the lifeblood of communities,” Will Bates (43), a third-generation fisherman,, Video, >click to read< 12:57
Last-ditch post-Brexit trade talks to resume between EU, UK – European Union and British negotiators Sunday entered what is potentially the final attempt to strike a deal over future trade ties, even though “significant differences remain” on three essential points. With less than four weeks remaining before the Jan. 1 cutoff day, >click to read<
These guys are hot! Fishermen who rescued lost paddleboarders, rescue a man in Galway
The father and son who rescued two paddleboarders last month have saved another life after plucking a man from the water in Galway yesterday morning. Patrick Oliver and his 18-year old son Morgan were hailed for their role in saving two cousins in Galway Bay last month. Now the father and son have been hailed heroes again after rescuing a Galwayman who was spotted in the water in the River Corrib around 9am yesterday morning. The Olivers, who were on their way out to sea in their fishing boat, turned back. >click to read< 13:55
Fishing Rights: Irish fishing group will fight ‘tooth and nail’ against UK quota move
The head of an Irish fishing group has said they will fight “tooth and nail” a move by the UK government to double the catch quota for British fishermen post Brexit. Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation CEO Sean O’Donoghue described the move as “off the wall stuff” and said it will never be accepted by either the EU or Irish government. Fishing rights have become an integral issue of the UK’s Brexit negotiations, with Boris Johnson’s government seeking to have a huge rise in the quota of British vessels in their waters. >click to read< 14:51
New penalty points system – Fishermen say there is no right to challenge the points for breaches of rules
The chief executive of Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation, Séan O’Donoghue has said that fishermen are not being afforded the same rights as other citizens under the new penalty points system introduced at the weekend. Mr O’Donoghue said that the fishing industry was not opposed to the system of penalty points to target breaches of fisheries rules but they were concerned that there was no right to challenge the points.,, The reaction from the fishing industry all around the country had been huge, said Mr Donoghue. “We can’t understand how the Taoiseach signed this statutory instrument.” >click to read< 10:21
Fraserburgh nets host of honours at annual awards
Fishermen and businesses from Fraserburgh and Macduff were among those recognised in the 2020 Fishing News awards for the UK and Ireland. A presentation ceremony scheduled for May 14 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the winners were instead announced online. David Milne, skipper of the Fraserburgh-registered Faithlie, was the winner in the demersal fisherman category. The award for fish processor went to Fraserburgh-based Whitelink Seafoods. Established by James and Marie Sutherland in 1974 in the garage at the back of their house, the company has grown over the years into one of the leading processors in north-east Scotland, now employing 180 people. >click to read< 13:40
“Trainee Fisherman of the Year” – Scalloway fisherman and NAFC student scoops top award
Campbell Hunter, who is a crewman on the local whitefish boat Guiding Light (LK 84), received the award in a virtual ceremony last night (Monday). The Fishing News Awards shine a spotlight on the achievements, innovations, and successes of the commercial fishing industries of the UK and Ireland over the last year. Mr Hunter was brought up in Scalloway where his family was mainly involved in the fish buying and processing industry. He decided his future lay in fish catching and while still at school enrolled on the NAFC’s “Maritime Skills for Work” programme, successfully gaining five SQA units relating to maritime activities. On leaving school, Mr Hunter enrolled on the centre’s Seafish “Introduction to Commercial Fishing” programme, >click to read< 15:16
‘Leave the diplomats out’ and put fishermen in charge of Brexit talks
As the UK and EU teams begin their final round of negotiations this week, Pascal Lamy called for “the politics and legal complexities” to be taken out of the fisheries talks, which are at an impasse. The UK team has accused the EU of not “accepting the reality” that Britain will be an independent coastal state at the end of the year, while the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, has rejected UK proposals for annual negotiations on quotas, saying EU fishermen needed “predictability” in the form of continued “status quo” access to UK fishing grounds after Brexit. >click to read< 10:27
Irish fishermen warn of violent clashes with UK boats ‘Give us an agreement! – Irish fishing chiefs have warned of violent clashes with British boats if the European Union fails to reach an agreement for continued access to UK’s fishing waters. Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation has claimed the industry would be plagued by thousands of job loses if Irish boats are locked out of the UK’s fishing grounds. >click to read< 10:35
Ireland: Warning fishing industry is on brink of collapse due to lack of Coronavirus support
Ireland’s €1.2 billion fishing industry is on the brink of collapse, according to industry representatives who say it has been decimated by the collapse in domestic and EU markets since the start of the Covid-19 crisis. But they also say the government’s lack of appropriate help could prove to be the final nail in the coffin. The representatives point to the fact that Agriculture Minister Michael Creed recently announced more money for harbour repairs than for packages to help fishermen and women. They also say a scheme he announced last week to help pay the costs of boats that can’t fish because of the crisis is “not fit for purpose”. >click to read< 10:25
Clare Island fisherman takes action to stop fibreoptic cable project off Co Mayo
A Clare Island fisherman has launched High Court proceedings aimed at stopping the laying of fibre optic cable off the Co Mayo coast as part of a multi-million-euro international communications project. James O’Toole is challenging the granting of a licence to the Irish leg of the project which will see a transatlantic subsea cable system connect Northern Europe and the US.,, On Wednesday, Mr Justice David Barniville granted AEC’s application to fast-track Mr O’Toole’s case in the Commercial Court,,, He and other fishermen are concerned about the risk of fishing gear becoming entangled on the surface laid cable and that fishing gear may have to be abandoned which could entrap marine species and cause environmental pollution. >click to read< 15:37
