KFO call on Minister Charlie McConalogue to sort out Killybegs fishing dispute

The decision to deny a Danish vessel the right to land its catch at Killybegs pier yesterday afternoon (Thursday) could have major implications for the reputational damage to the local fishing industry and possibly mean other EU vessels would not use the port.

That's the claim this morning from the chief executive of the Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation, Sean O'Donoghue. he is angry with the Sea Fisheries Protection Agency (SFPA) for not allowing the vessel to work.

It has been claimed that the vessel, Ruth, wasn't given the option of using the pier side weighing scales, it was offered the weighbridge only, and with a catch of Blue Whiting which is particularly prone to damage and loss of quality, once handled without proper separation of fish and water, this was effectively consigning a perfectly good catch of fish which is fit for human consumption to fish meal production.

As a result, 60 workers were sent home because this meant there was no work for them

"This is totally unacceptable. We have perfectly good Flow scales on the pier but we're not being allowed to use it, it's absolutely crazy, said Mr O'Donoghue, this morning.

He pointed out they had won a High Court case concerning the ownership of the Flow scales.

"The High Court was very clear at the time. It said the SFPA was acting illegally saying the Flow scales were in public ownership.

"It also stated that the European Commission had no legal basis for requesting it and we still have that confirmed in the plan from the SFPA. It seems to me winning the court case meant nothing."

Mr O'Donoghue added he was worried that this latest problem would send out a very bad message to others in the fishing industry about Killybegs.

"These were Danish vessels. They won't be landing back here again. There is no need for this to happen."

He pointed out that 60 men were turned away from work which did not help the local economy either.

"We are on a consultative committee with the SFPA. We have written to them with a series of questions but they haven't answered us. We had everything resolved on March 4 but by march 6 they had changed their mind even though we had met them. I am hopping mad about this," he said.

He added that fishermen had enough to contend with at the moment with fuel prices and Brexit without having to deal with this.

"We are keeping all avenues open and we will be contacting the Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine Charlie McConalogue TD. I know he will say this is an operational matter but the fact remains he still has oversight over the body and must do something for us too."