Disquiet among fishermen about use of illegal gill nets by foreign trawlers in Irish waters.
The South and West Fishermen's Organisation in Castletownbere today released photographs of so called ghost nets. The claim is that these illegally sized nets are being used by foreign fisihing boats and the nets are then dumped to to avoid detection. The abandoned nets go on killing fish until they are removed from the sea.
Fishing crews as well as scientists participating in a marine study have picked up abandoned nets. They believe this is evidence of an unregulated fishing fleet operating off the coast of Ireland which is destroying valuable stocks.
This issue has been brought to the attention of the European Union (EU) says Jason Whooley from the South and West Fishermen’s Organisation. He describes the EU attitude up to now as out of sight, out of mind.
Irish fishermen made their concerns known directly to EU Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg and Pat The Cope Gallagher at a recent meeting. Both have promised action on the matter.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 10 November 2005. The reporter is Tom MacSweeney.
