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Greencastle trawler lands 97kilo
halibut
15.07.08
Rockall fish worth
over €1000
by Simon McGeady, Inishowen Independent
IT TAKES a lot to surprise a Greencastle fisherman
but when the Catherine R returned to port last
Thursday its catch of the day had jaws dropping in
amazement.
The Catherine R was fishing for haddock and monkfish
at Rockall Banks about 280 miles north west of
Donegal when they hauled in the big fish. Once back
on dry land the fish was weighed at 97 kilos.
According to John O’Kane, manager of the Foyle
Fishermen’s Co Op, it’s the biggest halibut he’s
seen landed in Greencastle. |
“You’d sometimes see
halibut come in weighing 50 to 60 kilos, but I’ve
never seen one this size,” said Mr O’Kane.
The skipper of the 28-metre trawler is Killybegs man
Barney Murray. He says halibut are fairly rare in
that part of the Atlantic these days.
You don’t see many halibut any more, the Spaniards
cleaned them out with their gill nets.
Shortly after the Inishowen Independent took
Barney’s photo with his halibut on Friday afternoon
the fish was cut up into steaks. The fish was
snapped up by Starcrest Seafoods in Donegal Town and
Mr O’Kane says they will get a return on |
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their investment.
“Halibut is an expensive fish and is something of a
delicacy. It’s not something you would see in a chip
shop, it’s more likely to be on the menu in a fancy
restaurant,” he said adding that the halibut steaks
would probably end up in Irish restaurants.
The owner of the Catherine R, Cara Rawdon added,
“I’ve been fishing for over 30 years an it’s the
biggest halibut I have ever seen.” |
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