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Fishermen in five-hour stand off
02.09.10
by Linda McGrory
TWO oyster fishermen were involved in a five-hour
stand-off yesterday with bailiffs and gardai at
Greencastle Harbour.
Paul McLaughlin and Liam O'Brien refused to come
ashore at the request of officers from the
cross-border fisheries protection body, the Loughs
Agency. The men, from Greencastle, had deliberately
breached the oyster season start-date to highlight
what they claim is the "systematic destruction" of
native wild oyster beds by mussel dredgers from the
aquaculture industry. They fear that native wild
oysters are being wiped out by the lethal bonamia
disease carried from infected waterways by mussel
boats. The protesters say the Government, through
the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, is doing
nothing to prevent the problem.
Until this year, the Foyle oyster season
traditionally ran from the first day of September
until the end of April. The has now been shortened
from September 20 until the end of March. |
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The five-hour stand-off yesterday at
Greencastle Harbour. |
Mr McLaughlin and Mr
O'Brien, who are members of the 44-strong Foyle
Oyster Sub-Committee, began their protest shortly
after 10am yesterday. They forewarned the
authorities of their plans and steamed, in their
36ft vessel, 'Cailin Helen' to a native oyster bed
off Whitecastle, Quigley's Point. They fished what
they described was a "token" sample of oysters to
highlight their concerns. Several of their samples
contained non-native species.
Around an hour later, their boat was intercepted by
a Loughs Agency patrol boat however the fishermen
refused to allow the bailiffs on board.
"We wouldn't let them on board to seize any of our
equipment or the oysters," said Mr McLaughlin, who
is chairman of the sub-committee. "We were simply
exercising our traditional right to fish for native
oysters and protect them for future generations,"
said 44-year old Mr McLaughlin. A half-hour later,
the 'Cailin Helen' returned to harbour where the
stand-off continued for another four hours.
The men said their attempts to contact the Sea
Fisheries Protection Authority in Killybegs were
unsuccessful.
A number of gardai, wearing riot vests, remained on
the pier during the stand-off while a garda officer
tried to negotiate with the two fishermen to end
their stand-off. The protest finally ended shortly
before 3pm.
Loughs Agency director of conservation and
protection, John McCartney, last night said nobody
was arrested during the operation. "The Loughs
Agency is conducting an investigation into breaches
of the oyster fishing regulations and we are limited
in what we can say due to this.
"The Loughs Agency is trying to bring in legislation
to regulate the mussel fisheries in Lough Foyle,"
said Mr McCartney. Several attempts to contact the
Sea Fisheries Protection Authority yesterday were
unsuccessful. |
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