‘Cocaine and not illegal fishing is the real threat’

THE State is putting disproportionate resources intoinvestigating allegations of illegal fishing rather than beefing up its fight against cocaine traffickers, it was claimed yesterday.

Castletownbere-based county councillor Noel Harrington found widespread support from colleagues when he questioned why members of the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation carried out raids last week on people associated with the fishing industry in West Cork, when these resources could have been used to locate two men at large in the area. They were wanted in connection with the largest cocaine seizure in the history of the State.

The FG councillor made it clear that he had no problem with gardaí carrying out investigations into illegal fishing. However, he said the fight against drugs, which was damaging the health of the younger population, was not being adequately resourced.

“The Government has gone to war with the fishing industry. In mid-1980s we had a fully staffed customs office in Castletownbere. That office was closed and is now staffed 24/7 by fishery protection officers. It’s a scandal that we can divert huge resources into hammering down an industry. Fishing is not a crime and drugs are coming into our country wholesale. It’s a scandal that deserves to be highlighted,” he said.

His party colleague, Cllr John O’Shea, claimed that the Government was criminalising coastal communities. “Nobody condones illegal activity in the fishing community, but the Government should turn its attention more to where the real crime is, and its not in Castletownbere or Killybegs,” Mr O’Shea added.

Cllr Dermot Sheehan, who lives in Goleen, said he was also concerned about disproportionate resources being hurled against the fishing community. As part of the proposed EU war on drug smuggling, he said a special unit should be based in Bantry, where it would have access to a deep water port and airstrip.