Islanders say authorities are failing to give support needed to save this traditional way of life.
The social, economic and, above all else, cultural role that traditional fishing has played for the Irish offshore islands cannot be underestimated, according to Arranmore native Jerry Early.
“I have a huge problem with how it’s been relegated to almost a pastime and it’s a huge sense of frustration for us,” Early stressed. “We can’t allow that to be whittled down.” “The reason why people want to visit the islands is to see activity in the harbour and eat fresh seafood that’s been caught locally,” he said.
‘Survive and prosper’ These concerns are recognised. For example, the Committee on the Marine found in 2018 that island fisheries are “under threat from, among other things, large industrial fleets”. This idea was then included in a 2014 Sub-Committee on Fisheries report with recommendations to support island communities. The advantages of the special licence are clear – higher sales and wages, an increase in employment and the ability to market fish catches as ‘niche’ or premium products.
“There are barriers to accessing the valuable quota species for the smaller fishers and even more barriers for the smaller-scale island fishers because the system has been designed around the larger industrial fleet,” she said. According to Bonner and Early, this long drawn-out process without conclusion is just one of many battles they have faced over the years, with many more recent ones also falling by the wayside.
In a statement, a Department spokesperson told us that the Minister is “very aware of the challenges”. According to John McCafferty, the manager of the island’s community co-operative, damage to the slipway “has a knock-on effect on so much work on the island” due to the importance of this particular slipway for fishers who have a key role in the community.
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