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Tom MacSweeney's THIS ISLAND NATION
A LEGAL DECISION AGAINST THE SFPA AND A NORTHERN MEETING WITH THE MINISTER

The controversy over the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority’s attitude to prawn fishing on the Porcupine Bank is set for the Supreme Court which has allowed an appeal against the High Court that had decided in favour of the Authority over its introduction of “time spent” methodology to assess catches made in the area when fishing, rejecting logbook returns.

This is, for the present, a rejection of the SFPA approach, pending the Supreme Court hearing.

The dispute over fishing the Porcupine Bank Dublin Bay Prawn fishery dates back to 2017 when the SFPA told the Minister that they could no longer rely on log books to certify catches. The Authority claimed that considerably more catches had been made than recorded. With resultant closure of the area, prawn boat losses were reported to total up to €6m.

fishermen Pat Fitzpatrick and Michael Flannery were agreed applicants in the High Court case after fish producer organisations decided that legal action would have to be taken to determine the matter.

The High Court last December held with the SFPA and its advice to the Minister

The fishing industry response was to seek a “leapfrog” from the judgement to a Supreme Court hearing of the issues.

The Supreme Court decision to grant leave to appeal to it opens up the issue again.

An unexpected development this week, which has caused concern and some anger amongst fishing organisations in the South was the announcement by Sea Source Northern Ireland, which describes itself as “a membership organisation owned by fishermen of Northern Ireland,” that they had met with Marine Minister Michael Creed. It was arranged by former SDLP Leader Margaret Riche and discussed the Voisinage issue past, present and future, Control Regulations, specifically landings into Irish ports, 2020 TAC priorities and Brexit. On its Facebook Page, the organisation said this was “a friendly meeting”. No fishing representatives from the Republic were invited it is understood.

For more maritime news, listen to the new edition of THIS ISLAND NATION which hears women in the seafood industry stress the importance of unity in fishing communities.

Also, after five years drifting in the oceans, an American naval target missile vessel is found by Doolin Ferries and that Arranmore Island off Donegal is charging ahead in modern communications.

The programme is presented by Tom MacSweeney

We are always on the look out for photos and news from around the coast and from all our harbours so please do send them on to us via email to editor@marinetimes.ie



September issue in shops from Thursday 5th September

  • What Is the Future for Community Lifeboats?

    Following the announcement of the new national search-and-rescue plan to underpin co-ordination and conducting of all search-and-rescue activities in Ireland we have had contacts from people involved in the operation of community lifeboats. They expressed the opinion that they “should not be forgotten” in the overall context of national search-and-rescue operations.” There is a fear that the plan revealed by Minister Shane Ross and reported in the August edition of the Marine Times, does not accord the community lifeboats a clear position.

  • Protection for Crawfish But Participation in V-Notching Lobsters on the Decline

    A new conservation measure which seeks to provide legal protection for v-notched crawfish under a Marine Institute project in the Southwest was introduced by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed at the end of May.

    It’s aimed at giving protection to crawfish that may be notched as part of the Marine Institute’s scientific work on establishing data on crawfish migration. Although to date, no grant scheme is available for v notching the crawfish and it remains to be seen whether BIM will put a scheme in place to grant aid the v notching of crawfish similar to the v notching grant scheme currently in place for lobsters.

  • Irish Rope Grown Mussels Achieve Blue Label from Marine Stewardship Council

    The Irish rope grown mussel fishery has achieved Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification. Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), is the holder of this latest MSC certificate. The state agency also holds the certificate for the Irish bottom grown mussel fishery, which achieved certification in 2013.  This latest certification means the entire Irish mussel fishery under BIM management is certified. MSC is a non-profit international organisation set up to recognise and reward sustainable fishing practices through its globally recognised ecolabel and fishery certification programme.

    Pick up a copy in your local shop or online »




WOMEN IN IRELAND’S SEAFOOD INDUSTRY »

Bord Iascaigh Mhara to Increase Visibilty of Women in Ireland’s Seafood Industry

Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), Ireland’s Seafood Development Agency, today, 6th March 2018, launched a promotional campaign to profile the important role women play in Ireland’s Seafood Sector. The Irish Seafood Sector contributed €1.15 billion to Ireland’s GDP in 2017. However women’s participation in the industry remains low. Just over one in ten (11.7%) employees in fishing, forestry and agriculture sectors in Ireland is female. This is significantly lower than the EU average of 36.9%. ‘I'm Trudy McIntyre, from Dunmore East, Co Waterford. I'm the daughter of a fishing family and now the wife of a fisherman, Shane McIntyre with two young daughters. I came into fishing through my father, spending time with him when he was out working on the boat.'

INTERVIEW»

The Future of the Legendary Galway Hookers

The legendary Galway Hookers are the subject of our monthly interview in which the Chairman of Cumann HúcéirÍ na Gaillimhe, the Galway Hookers Association, Dr. Michael Brogan, talks to Marine Times Deputy Editor, Tom MacSweeney, about the future of these iconic West of Ireland boats and says they are a maritime art, the preservation of which deserves official support. The sight of a Galway Hooker under full sail is a wonderful spectacle, which can lift the heart of anyone with a maritime feeling. To helm one is even more stirring – and demanding. The feeling of power which comes through the tiller is astonishing, as I found on the helm of the MacDuach, the biggest of the Hookers.


Great Lighthouses of Ireland RTE Documentary »

Great Lighthouses of Ireland RTE Documentary

Irish Lights has announced its involvement in a four-part documentary series with RTE 1 that tells the story of Ireland’s lighthouses and the associated aids to navigation network around the island of Ireland and the vital role it plays in ensuring safety at sea for all. The documentary, Great Lighthouses of Ireland, illustrates Irish Lights’ leading role in safe navigation at sea from the 1800s to the present day, and the advances that have taken place in relation to Aids to Navigation from an engineering and technology perspective during this period.

opinion »

Segmentation of Fleet Capacity

Art Kavanagh: I remember some years back being at a presentation from a County Manager – as they were called at the time which he entitled “Running the County as a Business”. Since then the title of County Manager has been replaced with the title of “Chief Executive” which is probably more appropriate given the size of the Business actually being managed with Huge Budgets, large Numbers of Employees and responsibilities for many aspects of life within the County.



Rogues Gallery in the Marine Times Newspaper

    Joefy checking images and of his 'younger days' in the September issue of the Marine Times in Power's Centra in Dunmore East - Photo courtesy William Power

    Video Gallery on the Marine Times Newspaper website


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