Flotilla protest over Corrib

In convoy Erris Inshore Fishermen’s Asociation protest at Ballyglass Pier against the Shell discharge pipieline in Broadhaven Bay. Pic: Peter Wilcock

Fishing flotilla ties up in protest

Fisherman says he will go to jail before allowing crab pots be moved for Shell pipeline

IN BALLYGLASS
Áine Ryan

THE Corrib protest moved to sea yesterday (Monday) as north Mayo fishermen downed their nets and pots and called on the Government to protect their rights to continue using their traditional fishing grounds.
Shortly after noon a flotilla of over 30 boats, and up to 100 fishermen, appeared on the edge of a mist-shrouded Broadhaven Bay. Sailing from Killala, Belderrig, Blacksod, Porturlin, Frenchport and Rinroe, one by one, they tied up to poignant applause from the large  quayside crowd of supporters. Among them were the James Collins, the John Michelle, the Dancing Wave, the Celtic Star, the Bull’s Mouth, the Silver Sand, the Eileen’s Pride, the Rachel Mary and eco-tourism craft, the Dúlra na Mara.
Organised by the Erris Inshore Fishermen’s Association (EIFA), the protest was a symbolic show of solidarity ahead of the arrival of the world’s largest sub-sea pipe-laying boat, the Solitaire (1,300ft long) – now anchored off Killybegs. Over the coming months, it is due to lay the pipe from the landfall site at Gelngar, 83km out to the Corrib field. The protest was also convened to highlight the continued impasse between Shell and the fishermen’s organisation over the location of the refinery’s ouflow pipe in a rich fishery.   
“Shell has not been listening to us for the last eight years. We are berthing our boats here until Wednesday and then we’ll go back out to sea because we need to feed our families. The seas are calm today and we should be fishing but we are forced to this,” said skipper, Pat ‘The Chief’ O’Donnell.
He said that when the Solitaire arrives in the coming weeks to start laying the offshore pipeline, he and other fishermen will blockade the entrance to the bay, if necessary.
“We’ve been fishing these waters for generations and we all have licences to fish them. So let the Minister for Justice and the Government protect our rights now the way they brought in the Gardaí to protect the workers on the gas refinery,” continued Mr O’Donnell.
He added that if Shell wanted to removed his crab pots from the route of the pipeline, they would have to get a court order. “And I won’t heed the court order so they’ll have to send me and other fishermen to jail.”
Addressing the large crowd on Ballyglass pier, Mr Eddie Diver, Chairman of EIFA, observed  the protest had ‘put the lie to Shell spin that the fishermen of north Mayo are not united’.
“The fishermen of Erris want the same rights to go to their place of work as Shell workers. Now that Shell is under time pressure because they say they can’t get the Solitaire back for another two years, they want us to co-operate. We will co-operate if the conditions are correct,” said Mr Diver.
“All along we have been very reasonable in our approach but we haven’t got any support from the Government. We cannot accept the location of the outflow pipe with its toxic, heavy metals. We’ve been told by various government officials that they cannot move this piece of plastic pipe; surely with Shell’s huge profits and the increasing value of this field they can afford it,” he continued.  
While members of the Shell to Sea and Pobail Chill Chomáin – who support a proposal for an onshore refinery at Glinsk – attended yesterday’s protest, the fishermen were emphatic that ‘it was their day’ and their issues that must be highlighted.
“This is a fishermen’s protest. We are here to show we are united. This is our main time of the year for fishing and I’ve been fishing on these grounds since I can remember,” said Tony Curley of Rinroe.
According to a source close to Shell, it is presently examining an alternative location proposed by EIFA for an outflow pipe. However, it will take six to eight weeks to study the environmental and engineering considerations and the Solitaire must start work before then.