Atlantic Dawn & the FF'rs

[diddleydoo]

This thread just shows how ignorant we are about the sea and its potential for us as a nation. If we had any other company that was number one in the world, we would hail it. yet McHugh was the world leader bar none and all we get is whinging moaning and begrudgery. He was a hero in my eyes.

Now just to be clear. I am completely aware (probably more than most) of the state of our fish stocks and have seen many stocks collapse. but to sinlge out one boat and one man as a villain rather than see the effect of other countries, technology, world demand and bad policing is fatuous. We would do well as a nation to take McHughs lead and make ourselves a world class fishing country. We have all the resources needed, but the truth is the irish turned their backs on the sea years ago. McHugh had to fight for his right to be a champion against administrations that were so short sighted and in the hands of the farmers.

I'm going to have to stop you there as you clearly have the whole thing arseways. I'd have interrupted you loudly had you tried to utter so much bollix in front of my person.

"the irish turned their backs ont eh sea years ago"? Are you for real? When exactly is this supposed to have happened?

I'll tell you what happened. Lenihan the twit sold off our fishing waters for a fraction of what they were worth way back in the '70s so that he could get grants for his farmer friends. The Gombeen had no clue what the Irish waters were worth economically.

Then you have parasites like McHugh helping himself to tonnage he didn't have to pay for (because it was magicked out of thin air, it wasn't purchased from anyone) in order to help himself to a large portion of the quota Ireland had been handed out thus essentially depriving multiple dozens of fishing boats of their future. Some hero.

He was basically given a present of his boat by the state. He should have never got the tonnage, he should never have been allowed to set the boat int eh water. It's all very very suspect from a legal point of view but in this backward gombeen feckin country whoever has the money can do whatever they feckin please.

At the same time honest hard-working fishermen had to give up their boats (and go a bloody pittance for the tonnage from the Government) and try to find something else to do. Compensation? Pfft. Not a sign of it my friends.

Shane.

[Dasayev]

Is there a problem with investigative journalism in this country? Most of the (potentially) scandalous issues involving FF appear to be unearthed by P.ie posters.

Hats off to you.

As Bill Moyers once said;

Sadly, in many respects, the Fourth Estate has become the Fifth Column of democracy, colluding with the powers that be in a culture of deception that subverts the thing most necessary to freedom, and that is the truth.

[zeleneye]

If we had any other company that was number one in the world, we would hail it. yet McHugh was the world leader bar none and all we get is whinging moaning and begrudgery. He was a hero in my eyes.

Now just to be clear. I am completely aware (probably more than most) of the state of our fish stocks and have seen many stocks collapse. but to sinlge out one boat and one man as a villain rather than see the effect of other countries, technology, world demand and bad policing is fatuous. We would do well as a nation to take McHughs lead and make ourselves a world class fishing country. We have all the resources needed, but the truth is the irish turned their backs on the sea years ago. McHugh had to fight for his right to be a champion against administrations that were so short sighted and in the hands of the farmers.

Are you for real? Number 1 in the world. Atlantic Dawn has the largest trawler in the European fleet because FF negotiated for an exemption from EU rules specifically for McHugh.

Atlantic Dawn Ltd is renowned for, among other things, pirate fishing particularly, latterly, off the coast of African countries, with which the EU has no trade agreement covering fisheries. Countries, which have no resources to patrol their waters.

It is known for over-fishing its (already generous and unsustainable) quota, also in African waters with which the EU has agreements covering fisheries.

Atlantic Dawn epitomises the flaws and excesses of the CFP. McHugh personally lobbied and had FF lackeys lobbying for the destruction of fisheries around the world.

The man is a villain and you have clearly just joined this site to defend his non-existent honour.

[stanley]

Are you for real? Number 1 in the world. Atlantic Dawn has the largest trawler in the European fleet because FF negotiated for an exemption from EU rules specifically for McHugh.

Atlantic Dawn Ltd is renowned for, among other things, pirate fishing particularly, latterly, off the coast of African countries, with which the EU has no trade agreement covering fisheries. Countries, which have no resources to patrol their waters.

It is known for over-fishing its (already generous and unsustainable) quota, also in African waters with which the EU has agreements covering fisheries.

Atlantic Dawn epitomises the flaws and excesses of the CFP. McHugh personally lobbied and had FF lackeys lobbying for the destruction of fisheries around the world.

The man is a villain and you have clearly just joined this site to defend his non-existent honour.

Presumably Fahey/Bertie just railroaded over the other fishermen rights, represented by Mary from Dunloe her own career would have come first, any sign of payments/benefits to Fahey/Bertie, McHugh seemed to have made a lot of money on the back of their decisions and the detriment of all others.

[zeleneye]

Presumably Fahey/Bertie just railroaded over the other fishermen rights, represented by Mary from Dunloe her own career would have come first, any sign of payments/benefits to Fahey/Bertie, McHugh seemed to have made a lot of money on the back of their decisions and the detriment of all others.

I am sure it wouldn't take much scratching.

I am no big fan of Patricia McKenna but, as an MEP, she did a lot of good work trying to at least shed light on the disgusting cronyism regarding Irish fisheries policy. It is a pity she seems to have given up the fight.

[dglsouthwest]

Guys, there is a MASSIVE story here of corruption, if any journo had the tanacity and the balls to follow it through....

[Toland]

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[dglsouthwest]

Alot of the info is already in the public domain...the fact that EL Berto lobbed Romano Prodi to licence this vessel whilst Prodi was on holiday is telling....

[Toland]

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[cactusflower]

Oh FFS, don't get me started on the "evil fishermen" crap that was being pushed around the last 5-10 years.

Truth of the matter is that there are a handful of fishermen seriously bypassing the quotas by landing abroad and not declaring the catches. Anyone involved in Fishing knows who these are.

Due to the fact that the government had to drastically cut the size of the fleet they decided to bring in draconian measures against the entire fleet. I'm not talking about quotas, since everybody agrees that they are necessary. I'm talking about "fisheries Officers". People were arrested over a box of fecking queenies. ARRESTED.

The "authorities" went after the small guys and totally ignored the biggies because they were mostly all pals with the politicians.

The state the government has let the Irish fishing industry fall into is a complete and utter bloody disgrace.

The vast majority of fishermen were TRYING to keep to the rules but sometimes the rules were changed while they were at sea and they only found out when they got back. Often with the "fisheries officers" waiting for them. Great system.

Shane.

The vast majority of fishermen aren't fishing off the coast of Africa. The ship is an obscenity.