Sir,
On reflection of last week’s well-attended fishing industry meeting in Killybegs with FG MEP Colm Markey I was left perplexed at the way he spoke.
While we are told that he has assisted Irish fishing industry representatives in getting meetings with some high-level people in EU Commission fishery circles, I am irritated that he seems oblivious to the fact that his Party, along with Fianna Fáil and the Greens, are equally guilty in what has, and is, resulting in the total annihilation of the livelihoods of the people who sat in that very room, as well as fishing industry people nationwide - - these political parties are jointly responsible for the most brutal regime in the history of this State to ever manage / mismanage the Irish fishing industry.
Although I am not a supporter of any of the aforementioned political parties, this letter is not an attack on Colm Markey personally as his work is in Europe and not in Government (and as it would seem that he has been genuine in his efforts for the industry), nor am I even picking out the FG Party individually, but I am critical of the entire political coalition system we are currently suffering through - - but we need to get one thing straight before we go any further - the only currency of all of these party machines is votes and power.
Thirty years ago walking on any fishing pier in this country the chances of getting shit on by a seagull was very high, let's say 40% on a busy day - - today the chances of getting shit on is 100% but the perpetrator is not the seagull (they’re all gone because there’s no fish left to eat) - - today the ones doing the shitting on fishermen are our own elected representatives.
At the meeting last week we were told about the need for “progress” and “building connections” with the same people that have consistently shit all over us and our communities for the past 40 years.
This industry is in the emergency room but the people in a position to fix it seem content to wait until the industry is in the morgue and only when it reaches that point and it’s all too late will they pretend to attempt to resuscitate it.
I have attended many meetings for over 40 years and it’s the same old story every time - - - all bad news for fishermen and with no politician or political party actually owning up or taking any blame for mismanagement or failings on their part.
I apologise for being so negative in this letter but as we the Irish fishing industry get weaker, the boys (both politically in our own country and the fishing powers outside of Ireland) who are doing the ‘shitting upon us’, are getting stronger.
Personally I feel the real truth and the ultimate ‘end game’ is only around the corner.
Our fish resources in rich Irish waters are gradually being given away to other nations while our bigger fishing ports are all getting upgraded to be temples of worship to the new god that is offshore wind farms, and the smaller ports are being fixed up to become nothing more than postcard pictures for tourism - idyllic scenes to mask the historic destruction of the entire fishing communities that once thrived there.
If this is the master plan then just tell us the truth and start to negotiate the eventual and total surrender of the resources.
Call a ceasefire on fishing communities, call off the dogs and let the fishermen in peace with their dignity intact and the tiny bit of pride they still have left.
The mental and financial persecution of innocent people and their communities is quite frankly disgusting and repulsive. Stop the slaughter of the endangered species that is the Irish fisherman.
Yours sincerely,
Frustrated
(Name supplied)