Ireland/Eire - fishermen lose patience in face of fuel cost rises & cheap imports

Fishermen in Ireland are taking direct action to highlight their concerns
about current problems facing the industry. For a second day they
are picketing Cork Airport as part of a series of protests against
what they say is EU and Government neglect of the fishing industry.

The Federation of Irish Fishermen (FIF) say that the airport is a
major import location for fish being brought into Ireland.

The Irish fishermen are directly highlighting one of the cruelest
spin-offs from global efforts to access cheap fish. They says people
do not realise that a lot of the fish they are being sold, in places
like fish and chip shops, are cheap imports from southeast Asia and
Africa. Paradoxically as fish is imported from these areas and the
industry in the Celtic countries goes under many in the countries
from which the product is sourced cannot afford food

The FIF is calling for action from the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries
and Food, Brendan Smith, urging the introduction of import controls
to check that fish being imported have been legally caught.

The action by FIF members is the latest of a series of angry protests
across Europe with fishermen and riot police clashing in several cities.


So far there have been no similar protests in the United Kingdom or
Isle of Man although a delegation of Scottish fishermen have lobbied
the UK Prime Minister and Scottish Government.

Rising fuel costs and the application of the Common Fisheries Policy
have decimated fishing communities.

The Celtic League first called for a CFP rethink and direct action
to assist fishing communities on the 'Atlantic Fringe' almost two
decades ago. However years of prevarication and inertia have produced
anger and resentment in fishing communities and tempers are now at
'boiling point'.

Related articles on Celtic News at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/message/2634
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/message/1301
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/message/883
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celtic_league/message/787

J B Moffatt
Director of Information
Celtic League

06/06/08


The Celtic League has branches in the six Celtic Countries. It works
to promote cooperation between these countries and campaigns on a
broad range of political, cultural and environmental matters. It highlights
human rights abuse, monitors all military activity and focuses on
socio-economic issues.

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