St George returns to mainstream oyster trade

The name of St George has made a triumphant return to the mainstream of the west’s fishing industry - after a row dating back 130 years.

Clarenbridge Oyster Co-op in Co Galway, famous worldwide for its shellfish product, has taken over the operation of the rival St George Oyster Fishery.

The now-merged St George venture has been at the centre of a dispute in the area since a landowning family of that name were controversially granted the right to control the neighbourhood’s oyster grounds by the then Inspectors of Fisheries in 1872.

The move infuriated local people, who had until then been able freely to harvest oysters from the stretch of sea involved, and sparked a struggle that last more than a century to bring the fishery back into the community.

The Government bought the fishery in the early 1980s and the years since have been spent restoring the project to meet its full potential.

Today Marine Minister Frank Fahey, who comes from the area, said: ‘‘Clarenbridge is synonymous with the word oyster and it is fitting that the people now have control and management of this valuable local natural resource for the benefit of the community.

‘‘I am confident that the move will herald the beginning of new opportunities for the fishery in terms of fishing, aquaculture and tourism, which will generate increased economic growth and employment.

‘‘A century of injustice has been put right in giving back to the local people what was rightfully theirs in the first place.’’