On foot of this excellent Open Letter and the list of demands following it, I would like to begin a hard copy signatory petition that every man, woman and child in our fishing ports, coastal communities and surrounding areas could sign and the results be presented to the Taoiseach in very public show of concern by our industry.
If there are any volunteers willing to go door-to-door in various towns and villages, then please email me at ifsacormac@gmail.com
— thanks, Cormac Burke
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OPEN LETTER
The Proclamation of fishing rights in Irish waters
Irishmen and Irishwomen
In the name of what is right and just for the people of this proud nation of Ireland, through the representatives of the Irish fishing industry and coastal communities, summons her children to her flag to fight for the freedom and ownership of Ireland that was envisioned and obtained by the people who fought and died to make it possible.
The time has come again where we must stand up and be counted to take the power back to the people of the nation.
Quote from The Proclamation of the Irish Republic: “We declare the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland and unfettered control of Irish destinies, to be sovereign and indefeasible. The long usurpation of that right by a foreign people has not extinguished the right, nor can it ever be extinguished except by the destruction of the Irish people.”
More than one hundred years on we find ourselves in a position where our sovereignty and ownership of Ireland is not controlled by Irish people and we are again controlled by foreign powers.
The rights not only to fishing but to gas reserves and exploration have been given away by successive governments and the time has come where we as a nation and a people must bring this to an end.
For more than seven hundred years our people fought to become the republic we are today and in a mere one hundred years since the achievement of that long-desired goal, we find ourselves in a position where we no longer control the destinies or the assets of our nation.
The once vibrant and flourishing fishing industry of Ireland is destined to be refined to history if we the people do not act now. We are at a crossroads where it is truly a ‘sink or swim’ situation, not just for the fishing industry but for coastal communities as a whole and the coming generations of Irish people.
Through years of mismanagement and poor representation our industry and coastal communities are at an all-time low, being pushed towards extinction by those who pretend to represent us, without unity and without a joint effort by we, the people, this will continue until such time there is nothing left to fight for.
We live in a different world today of course to that in 1916 and the approach can’t be by means of taking up arms but must be democratic – but the issue that we face here is that the elected representatives and civil servants that we have now and over the past generation have had no desire for what is in the best interest of the people Ireland.
For the reasons stated above and demands listed below, we implore you the people of our proud nation to sign and address this document and have your children sign this document to show the desire for change and reform amongst us. We simply cannot stand by to let our country and future be handed away any longer.
It is time to stand together!
Go Raibh Mile Maith Agibh
Ta Se In Am Seasamh Le Cheile
(Name supplied)
Proclaimed by its signatories
* A dedicated minister of the marine with knowledge and experience in the sector;
* 70% of all fish caught in Irish waters to be caught by Irish vessels;
* 100% of fish caught in Irish waters to be landed in Irish ports;
* Complete reform of the Department of the Marine and replacement of its senior members;
* Complete reform of the SFPA, control and regulation of which by an independent body and to bring an end to the persecution of pelagic, demersal and inshore fishermen;
* Complete reform of the demersal quota system and discarding of fish;
* Full access to the waters around Rockall.