Trawler battles waves for prawn haul

Despite coastguard warnings of “huge waves whipped up by high seas” this fishing trawler was determined not to be prevented from going in search of its haul.

The John B and its six-man crew left Howth yesterday evening to begin a 10-day stint fishing for prawns.

Boat owner William Price told the Irish Examiner: “It’s a case of life and limb and just go for it.”

Mr Price, who co-owns a fleet of trawlers along with his brother Patrick, said the John B had to go out in spite of the weather because “we are geared to a certain amount of days at sea now due to the way the economy and the EU is pressing us”.

“They go off wherever the fishing is,” he said.

“No matter where it is in Ireland, they go. They literally have to go around the clock whenever they can because of the limited days at sea. We are even governed to certain times going out.”

Mr Price said there was a very sustainable prawn fishing industry in Ireland.

“It is generating. With the amount of vessels that have been taken out, the boys who actually stayed in it are starting to make a living,” he said.

“But we are restricted to our days at sea and you either go for it or you lose them. There is no respect for bad weather. We used to have the comfort that if it was bad weather you stayed in. You did not put life and limb at risk. In today’s environment we have to ignore weather and just go to sea. Then you are putting both your crew and boat in peril. But that’s life.”

The 60ft John B is a €2m vessel which, according to Mr Price, has been purpose-built for the type of fishing it engages in. It featured in RTÉ’s Skippers programme.

Just as the John B was taking to the water, the Irish coast guard issued a warning to the public about the dangers of posed by the stormy conditions which were due to batter the coast into the evening and today. Winds were gusting to gale force 9 overnight with local flooding expected in different parts of the country.

“The coastguard strongly advise the public not to go out on exposed coasts, cliffs, piers, harbour walls, beaches, promenades or any other coastal areas during the inclement weather,” said a spokesman. “Huge waves can be whipped up by high seas. These waves can pose hazards to anyone close to the shoreline. The combination of tides, forecasted gale warnings for the next day or so, high sea conditions and swollen rivers may result in very dangerous conditions.”

Met Éireann has forecast that the winds will ease this evening, though it will be very cold overnight with temperatures barely above zero degrees in some parts.

The unsettled weather is forecast to continue throughout the weekend and into next week with frequent, heavy downpours of rain affecting most parts of the country.