Fishermen Stage Protest in Castletownbere

Two trucks blocked by protesting Fishermen leaving Dinish Island with fish off loaded from Spanish/Spanish Flag Ships.

This Protest has arisen because of the growing unhappiness being felt by the fishing community in this area.

Consistent calls from the industry for action to be taken to address the wholesale illegal fishing by foreign vessels has gone un-noticed.  Unfortunately the authorities have instead chosen to target Irish vessels.  This 'blanket' control of Irish vessels is difficult to understand given the activities of foreign boats on our doorstep.

Issues such as lack of Government commitment on fleet modernisation and rising fuel costs are also of huge concern.  We can no longer tolerate this lack of action by the Minister and his Department, the protests will continue for as long as is required, or until such time as the authorities recognise the concerns of the industry and act accordingly. 

View of the cars and vans blocking the bridge exiting Dinish Island - where up to 20 vessels unload each week-end.