Fishermen fury as €6m boat held at pier

AN unlicensed €6 million showpiece trawler is to remain tied up in one of the country’s top fishing ports.

The new 35-metre Sarah David sailed into its home port of Castletownbere in West Cork yesterday amid an EU fleet-management controversy.

The boat’s father-and-son partnership have been told by the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources that a licence cannot be issued for the vessel due to European Commission demands for a scaling down of the fleet.

However, the boat’s joint owner Neilie Minihane said yesterday: “We can’t afford to have the vessel tied up.”

His son David, 25, is the skipper of the polyvalent vessel, which will fish pelagic and demersal species.

The department, however, said the minister is awaiting a decision from the European Commission on fleet policy.

The EU’s Council of Fishery ministers have not finalised proposals on fleet management but Commissioner Franz Fischler is determined to reduce the capacity of what he claims is an oversized European fishing fleet.

But David and Neilie Minihane planned the acquisition of the vessel three years ago after the announcement of a second phase of a fleet-renewal scheme to upgrade the ageing Irish fishing fleet, the oldest in the EU.

The new polyvalent vessel, eligible for grant aid, was built in Latvia and equipped in Sweden where it was launched earlier this week. It replaces four older boats with an average age profile of 26 years.

Under EU regulations, a new vessel can only be introduced into a national fleet after its equivalent, in terms of tonnage and power, is replaced.

“We would have preferred if the matter was resolved before the boat arrived home,” Mr Minihane said. “We were told there may be some development by September but we can’t afford to leave the boat in port.”

With the combined cost of decommissioning the four older boats, the new vessel project is believed to have cost the Minihane’s in the region of €8.5m.

Manager of the Castletownbere fisherman’s co-op John Nolan said 24 jobs at sea are being lost while the vessel remained in port. “The landing capacity of the Sarah David would also have the equivalent of maintaining 12-14 onshore processing jobs,” he said.

“It’s a magnificent vessel, the pride of the local fleet,” the co-op manager said. “It’s an absolute disgrace on the part of the department not to issue a licence but it’s typical of the attitude of both central government and the EU towards the fishing industry.

“The fishing sector has been abandoned by the Government,” Mr Nolan said. “By comparison, there would be national outrage if a farmer acquired a farm and was not allowed to work it.

“Fishermen like the Minihane’s, who have invested heavily in the industry, should be saluted rather than berated. They can’t afford to have a vessel like this strapped to the pier,” he said.

Manager of the Irish South and West Fishermen’s Organisation Jason Whooley said: “It’s critical an internal measure is put in place by the department to ensure our vessels go to sea.