Restoring way of life for men of the sea

YOUR editorial (May 26) on the reopening of the salmon fishery in Castlemaine harbour in Co Kerry offered a blinkered, sensational view of the factual situation.

Firstly, the headline ‘A disgraceful concession’ is surely a misnomer. What is concessionery about the restoration of a way of life for the fishermen concerned; a way of life for men of the sea with its time-worn traditions?

The by-law that banned draft net fishing in the harbour was enacted in 2008 against the advice of the South Western Regional Fisheries Board (SWRFB). The ban did not extend to draft net fishing in the privately-owned fisheries in the rivers Laune and Caragh – both of which flow into the harbour.