Fishermen angry

ON THE BRIDGE North Mayo fishermen highlight their plight in Ballina.  Pic: John O’Grady

Angry Mayo fishermen say they are being criminalised by Government and EU

Tonnes of fish left to rot as fishermen cannot export

Emer Gallagher

THE MAIN beneficiaries of a protest in Ballina last Friday over the state of the fishing industry in Mayo were lucky fish-lovers who availed of the free fish being disposed of.
Members of Erris Inshore Fishermen’s Group and fishermen from Killala, Enniscrone and Achill, gathered at the Upper Bridge in Ballina and emptied crabs and mackerel into the River Moy in a bid to emphasise their plight and highlight the difficulties their industry is facing.
“The stuff we brought here is only a fraction of what we have. There are tonnes of stock lying behind [in Erris],” said Eamon Dixon, secretary of the Erris Inshore Fishermen’s Association.
Pat O’Donnell, from Porturlin, said the fishermen were protesting over the soaring cost of fuel, the fact that they could face criminal prosecution over a mistake in their log book and the cheap imports into the country, all of which were threatening the industry.
“If I go out tomorrow morning and make a mistake in my log book it is a criminal offence. There are few young fishermen who are interested in getting into the business but the way the fishing industry is at the minute you won’t see any more coming in to it,” said Mr O’Donnell.
“The live crab we have here today is for export and would be going to Spain or France but, due to the protest in Spain with the truckers, the borders have been blocked up and our truckers can’t get in.  This is our second week tied up and in a week or two I think all of the fishermen here will be considering signing on.”
Jonathan O’Donnell, a 22-year-old fishermen from Porturlin, has been fishing since he was 14 but has fears for his future in the industry.
“The diesel is finishing it off altogether and there is a ban on certain fish. Between everything, it is not looking good at all. There has been money in it in the last number of years but it has gone downhill rapidly since then,” said Jonathan, who added that he would rather continue fishing if he had a choice.
“There are three on my boat and we are all 22 or 23 years of age and the way things are looking we will have to tie up.”
The fishermen say it is increasingly difficult to compete within the industry due to cheap imports and the soaring cost of fuel. “Our fuel cost is actually double what it was last year and the price of fish has come down,” added Mr Dixon
Mr O’Donnell, whose business, Porturlin Shellfish, employs up to 15 people says he may be forced to close down. “The way it is going at the minute the fishermen aren’t fishing so the factory might be closing down. It is a serious, serious problem at the moment,” said Mr O’Donnell.