Allister condemns DCAL neglect of eel fishermen
01 May 2009
First published: 29/04/09
Jim Allister MEP has condemned DCAL Minister Gregory Campbell for his neglect of Lough Erne eel fishermen. His comments were made at a meeting of stakeholders, organised by DCAL in Enniskillen on Friday.
The MEP said,
“Wrongly, DCAL has submitted an eel management plan which will see total closure of eel fishing in Lough Erne from July this year. I have corresponded with the European Fisheries Commissioner, who has said that had an eel management plan not been submitted, fishing effort would only have been cut by 50% -thus eel fishermen’s livelihoods have been surrendered needlessly”.
“Furthermore, DCAL has moved from a policy of phased closure of eel fishing in Lough Erne, to a total cessation without even so much as a proper consultation process with eel fishermen. Indeed, I have a copy of minutes from a meeting attended by DCAL officials in October 2008, where phased closure was confirmed as the stated policy. Obviously, there has been a u-turn in policy under Minister Campbell’s watch, and eel fishermen are entitled to find out why”.
“Furthermore, I have written evidence to suggest that the Electricity Supply Board (ESB) are unwilling to put up the necessary funds required for an effective silver eel fishery, which would see eels being caught before they come in contact with the turbines, and released behind the danger area. It is ESB whose turbines at Ballyshannon are the reason for high mortality of our eel stocks, which is seriously curtailing escapement of eels. This particular point was put to ESB representatives who attended the meeting last Friday, much to their displeasure.”
“I attended the meeting with DCAL and eel fishermen on Friday to leave fishermen in no doubt that it is the DCAL Minister who has presided over the demise of their livelihoods, while ESB and its under-water turbines at Ballyshannon have had the biggest impact on eel stocks. Sadly, we see all too often in Northern Ireland politics that Government will target those they consider to be the soft targets –in this case the eel fishermen –while turning a blind eye to the major source of the problem.”
ENDS
