This article is from page 18 of the 2006-11-14 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 18 JPG
QUILTY fisherman, Michael Galvin, has hit out at the government over it’s handling of last weeks ban on drift net salmon fishing. Mr Galvin claims that the ban will bring hardship to fishermen in the county and all along the western seaboard.
“All up and down the coast of Clare there are salmon fisherman and this is the main source of income for us,” said Mr Galvin. “With a stroke of a pen they have taking it all away. It’s crazy what they are doing.”
Mr Galvin says that fishermen are angry because of the lack of consultation between the government and local fishermen before the ban was brought in.
“They didn’t consult any one of us about this,” he continued. “I know that there are declining fish stocks but we feel that climate chance is a factor. Climate change is bringing fish to the rivers later. There does seem to be a later run of fish.
“We feel that climate change is the bigger issue. What we are allowed to fish is only a drop of water in a lake compared to pollution. Salmon have knowledge and they won’t go into a river if it is polluted.”
There is also considerable anger among Clare fishermen about the level of compensation being offered.
“We are just supposed to take this on the chin. There should be a setaside system for three or five years and see what happens from there,” continued Mr Galvin.
“I’m sure if we were farmers or white-collar workers that we would get a fair crack of the whip.”