Save The Swilly December 13, 2002

LOUGH SWILLY'S INDIGENOUS FISHERMEN SPEAK OUT

Friday, 13th December 2002 - At a time of grave uncertainty for the Irish fishing fleet, Lough Swilly's indigenous fishermen are facing an invasion into their 'turf' by Dutch-controlled mussel dredgers determined to control the area's shellfish sector.

Representatives of three segments of Lough Swilly's inshore fisheries will meet on Saturday, 14th December at the Holiday Inn in Letterkenny to discuss the situation. Media are invited to a briefing to be held at 3.00pm. Representatives will include the Brown family from Inch Pier, who have been fishing Lough Swilly for generations; licensed wild oyster fishermen, some of whom have links to oyster fishing in Lough Swilly dating back to the 19th century; and traditional oyster pickers, several of whom have been prosecuted for this activity over the past year, and whose families have supplemented their incomes since the 1950s from oyster picking.

While the three groups have different concerns, they all believe they are being excluded from the long-term development of Lough Swilly by foreign-controlled companies actively supported by the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, An Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) and the Coordinated Local Aquaculture Management Systems (CLAMS).

INCH FISHERMEN: The restoration and modernisation of Inch Pier should be a clear priority for the inshore sector in Lough Swilly, but representatives of the Inch and Leenane Fishermen's Organisation have received no support or even recognition from the local Inshore Fisheries Development Project. Repeated applications for funding to develop the Inch Pier and to modernise the Inch fleet have been ignored by the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and by BIM. In an effort to supplement the declining income from the whitefish sector the Brown family is seeking some additional ground for mussel cultivation. However, the indications are that the Dutch-backed applications are being given top priority.

WILD OYSTER FISHERMEN: Bottom-culture mussel licences granted to foreign-controlled operators three years ago were in direct breach of Section 8 of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 1997, in that they allowed the licencees to seed mussel over wild oyster beds. This section of the Act states: "The licensing authority shall not licence a person to engage in aquaculture within the limits of an oyster bed or oyster fishery…without the consent [of licenced wild oyster fishermen]…" The Lough Swilly Wild Oyster Development Association represents licensed oyster fishermen in the Swilly. This group was formed to protect and enhance the Lough Swilly wild oyster fishery, which has been fished for hundreds of years. The group is now concerned that official policy is aiming to limit or exclude the licensed wild oyster fishermen from the lough, in favour of the large Dutch-backed mussel dredgers.

OYSTER PICKERS: Several oyster pickers have been prosecuted over the past year for an activity that has been carried out by a small number of families for decades. The activity is unlicensed, and the court has upheld the Northern Regional Fisheries Board contention that manual oyster pickers can be prosecuted. It is the view of the families that have been involved in the process that some mechanism can and should be found to allow them to continue their activities in a regulated and legal way.

Representatives of all three groups will be available for comment at a media briefing at 3.00pm on Saturday, 14th December 2002 at the Holiday Inn, Letterkenny.

SAVE THE SWILLY contacts:

Email: info@loughswilly.com
Phone: Tony Morrison (353) 07493-63733
Phone: John Mulcahy (353) 07491-59113; (353) 086-2808636
Address: c/o Buncrana Anglers Association,
Castle Lane, Buncrana, Co. Donegal
Website: www.loughswilly.com

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Archived Press Releases:

September 25, 2006
Oyster crisis exposes "shambles" in management of Swilly

July 11, 2005
Attempt to double salmon-farming output in Lough Swilly

August 23, 2004
Which part of "No" don't they understand?

August 24, 2004
Which part of "No" don't they understand?

June 2, 2004
Coulter calls for political change in Donegal

December 15, 2003
Portsalon salmon-farming licence refused by ALAB

November 05, 2003
Sea Trout and Wild Salmon have been Victims of 'Ethnic Cleansing' - FISSTA

September 24, 2003
Prime Time Exposes Aquaculture's Shortcomings

July 24, 2003
Save the Swilly Calls for Farmed Salmon Mortality Monitor

July 21, 2003
Another Disaster in Inver Bay - Inquiry Essential

July 17, 2003
Rural Development Towards Sustainability

February 8, 2003
Save the Swilly Meets Inishowen Politicians

February 3, 2003
Blue Flag Beach Threatened by 80-Acre Fish Farm

January 29, 2003
Save the Swilly 10,000-Signature Petition Accepted by Europe

January 28, 2003
New Alliance Formed in Swilly

December 16, 2002
"Stop Ripping Up the Swilly" Indigenous People Demand

December 13, 2002
Lough Swilly's Indigenous Fishermen Speak Out

October1, 2002
Public Meeting to Discuss Integrated Coastal Zone Management

September 25, 2002
Save the Swilly Welcomes the Strategy on Coastal Zone Mangement

August 12, 2002
Integrated Coastal Zone Management Proposal Launched

August 2, 2002
Questions over decomposing salmon in Inver Bay

June 3, 2002
No Room for Tradition in Lough Swilly

May 3, 2002
Save the Swilly opts for "Swilly First"

May 3, 2002
Save the Swilly/Green Party candidate withdraws

May 1, 2002
Save the Swilly/Green Party candidate to contest Donegal North-East

April 18, 2002
Coulter to be "Ambassador at Large" for Save the Swilly

March 25, 2002
Save The Swilly presents 10,000-signature petition to EU

March 12, 2002
Study of Lough Swilly launched

November 30, 2001 STS letter to Hugh Byrne, Minister for State for the Department of the Marine

November 27, 2001 ICZM and OSPAR - not Clams - for Swilly

October 17, 2001 Salmon farm wants still more licences inshore

September 17, 2001 Save the Swilly meets Labour Party

September 13, 2001 Save the Swilly meets Minister of State Byrne

September 1, 2001 Save the Swilly begins fundraising drive

August 28, 2001 Save the Swilly welcomes I.F.A. initiative

May 15, 2001 Expansion of salmon farming tragic for Swilly

April 9, 2001 Mussel barrels adrift in Lough Swilly

March 22, 2001 Save the Swilly presents petition

March 13, 2001 Save the Swilly questions Minister Byrne

March 11, 2001 Save the Swilly reaffirms call for moratorium

February 20, 2001 Launch of Save the Swilly website

January 24, 2001

January 16, 2001 Delegation meets Minister Hugh Byrne

January 9, 2001 Save The Swilly
(from looking like Mulroy Bay)