Unreasonable fishing quotas and
the government’s policy of criminalising trawler crews is in danger of
destroying coastal communities like Kilmore Quay according to local election
candidate Mick Roche. Mr Roche said that
despite some tutting and quite reassurances by government spokespeople, the
Irish establishment had all but abandoned the likes of Kilmore Quay.
The Sinn Féin candidate said;
“Everything is Kilmore Quay
relies on the fishing industry. During
the bad weather over the past few weeks, the trawlers haven’t got out which
means there’s less work for those employed in the fish factories which in turn
means they have less to spend on service industries like the local shops, pubs
and transport companies. This influence
that the trade has spreads right out into neighbouring areas villages like
Bridgetown, Duncormick and Tomhaggard.”
“Knowing the vital importance of
the fishing industry to the whole of South Wexford it’s very hard to accept why
the community of Kilmore Quay has been abandoned and allowed to face the
effects of unreasonable fishing quotas and a deadly policy of criminalising
fishing crews who are just doing their jobs alone.”
“Why is it deemed ok for Ireland
to have roughly a 7% quota while we have 20% of the EUs fishing waters? Spain has a 34% quota. Kilmore Quay fishing vessels are being
threatened by our own navy vessels for fishing in our own waters while Spanish
fleets fish with hardly any restrictions.”
“The value of our fisheries for
the last thirty years is estimated to have been worth over €210 billion, yet
our share was only €17 billion. Clearly
we are being screwed. How can Minister
Coveney go to Brussels and claim to have led successful negotiations when this
is our historical record?”
“The fact is that Kimore Quay
will die unless the powers that be, our government, our MEPs, our Senators and
our local Councillors stop turning their backs on this issue, stop
participating in the criminalisation of our hard working fishing crews and stop
accepting that we do not have a right to fish a fair share of our own waters in
order to sustain Irish fishing.”
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