In his 36ft boat ‘Ilen Lass’, having shot his nets just the once for the first time this year after two months with no fishing, and having made a good catch of fish, the law evidently required him to figure out that his catch was over quota as he steamed ashore in a wind rising to force 7, and dump the excess of fish, dead, back into the sea. All in the name of ‘conservation’!

I object on several counts. The manifest injustice, wastefulness and ineffectiveness of this regime bring conservation itself, not to mention the law and the European Union, into disrepute.

Before one rushes to blame ‘Europe’, one may as well recall that the chances of this happening in France or Spain are extremely remote. I am told that under Irish law, being caught landing over quota automatically causes confiscation of catch and gear, but this is not the case in France or Spain.

Indeed when the Spanish have finally been caught landing over quota in places like the Seychelles, their government in its enlightenment has shelled out compensation. More money into the back pockets of third world elites, while the local, artisanal, coastal fishermen are left to starve! This sort of state-sponsored robbery constitutes a global scandal of truly terrible proportions. But it’s surprising that our crowd apparently never managed to pull that particular stunt, after all the illegal fish that the Spanish have landed in Ireland! The only Minister of Fisheries who seriously challenged them, Hugh Coveney, was somewhat mysteriously shafted for his trouble.

With robbery masquerading in the clothes of conservation, where can we look for the real thing? It is all uncomfortably close to the problem that the West has, with its old habits of exploitation and imperialism dressed up in all sorts of progressive and democratic clothes, wreaking havoc all over the gaffe, and making it very difficult to promote really just and sustainable relationships and ways of life. May we hope that the powerful people are realising that long-term it’s not even a profitable way of doing business?

I believe the best way to start is by creating just and sustainable ways of living for ourselves. Which brings me back to the West Cork Sustainable Fisheries Group. What has become of that? Well, I had a busy summer of it, but the wheels were slowly turning. Before we could make further progress, we needed to determine what kind of legal stucture to adopt. Having figured out that all we needed for now was to register as a charity, we had to agree a constitution (see WCSFG page), and submit it to the Revenue Commissioners for their approval. This has been done, but we will still have to wait a month or so for the verdict.

Meanwhile, Skipper Joe is sadly grounded this winter; no sail south, in the interests of financial consolidation. The ‘Anna M’ is sheltering from the winter gales tucked up the Ilen river at Old Court. But it does mean that there’ll be less distractions from finishing our little building and getting that Sailfish project moved along.....

Winter quarters on the Ilen River

June 2009

May 2009
January 2009
November 2008
September 2008
August 2008
Midsummer report 2008
April 2008
February 2008
October 2007 - 1
October 2007 - 2
May 2007 report
April 2007
March 2007
January 2007
November 2006
October 2006

West Cork Sustainable Fisheries Group Launch

Tuna Trip 2007
On launching Wavedancing - 19 April 2006