‘We just cannot fight any longer’

THE fishing community has traditionally been a powerful lobby group, but after a series of setbacks many do not feel they have the energy for a fight.

In each inlet along the south coast communities of small fishermen have seen their incomes eroded with a succession of new regulations.

The latest was the ban on drift-netting salmon, which was a direct blow to the owners of smaller boats.

Next month would normally signal the start of the salmon-netting season and a mainstay in the businesses of men like John Murray.

Mr Murray, 57, is a father of four. His 19-year-old son is fishing with him at the moment but from his base in Dunabrattin Harbour, Waterford, and he said there is little optimism for the sector.

“There is a lot of frustration around, but I think it is more a feeling of depression. People are just watching it all being taken away from them and they just cannot fight anymore,” he said.

The sinking of the Pere Charles and Honeydew II earlier this year is seen as evidence of the dangers faced by smaller boats fishing in tougher winter conditions just to make a living. “Salmon fishing would usually be done in the summer when it is calmer. The inshore boats are smaller and with the climate getting more volatile it is getting more dangerous,” he said.

Mr Murray should be preparing for the start of the drift net season on June 1. Instead the small in-shore fishing boats have to adapt to catch lobster and encroach on the livelihoods of people specialising in this area.

“There are some fishermen who only fish lobster and crabs, but without the salmon everybody has to turn their attention to this and it will impact on them. There are more people in the angling community so the politicians sided with them, but that is just a hobby for them.

“I am traditionally a Fianna Fáil voter, but I will not be voting for them on Thursday,” he said.

While the small fishermen are nursing fresh wounds from the drift net ban the bigger vessels, targeting deeper waters, have their own problems.

Along the road between Dunmanway and Bantry a string of posters point the finger of blame at FF.

“Fianna Fáil. Fiddling. Fraud. Theft of coastal people and rural communities,” reads one.

Ger O’Flynn, the new chief executive of the Irish South and West Fishermens’ Organisation in Castletownbere, said this is not reflective of the wider industry but there are issues they want to see resolved.

The difficulties for the owners of larger boats lie in the new marine legislation which makes it a criminal offence to have irregularities in their records.

“It is disappointing that there has been a failure to put in an administrative punishment rather than a criminal one. You do not see it in any other sector where people are criminalised for something to do with their job,” he said.

Mr O’Flynn said there is an acceptance that local politicians from all parties have listened to the needs of the larger fishermen.

However, he said that the community is still putting pressure on elected representatives to resolve the problems and commit to implementing the Cawley report on reforming the sector.