“IS&WFO meet with Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Noel Dempsey”

Following todays long-awaited first visit by Noel Dempsey, the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, to West Cork, Jason Whooley, Manager of the Irish South and West Fishermens Organisation, had this to say:

"We welcomed Minister Dempsey to Castletownbere but we didn’t hold back in letting him know how much resentment there is among fishermen at how they have been treated. We re-iterated strongly to the Minister that the Sea Fisheries Bill must be amended to include administrative sanctions for minor offences, as is the case throughout Europe. We highlighted how fishing is uniquely vulnerable to problems caused by ongoing high fuel prices. In particular, we outlined to the Minister that unless the Industry gets a level of political support for our goal of proceeding in a sustainable and profitable manner, following the recommendations of the Strategic Review, then we have no future. It was a productive meeting and we hope that Minister Dempsey has gone away with a better understanding of the pressures on fishermen."

6th July 2006