A meeting to discuss recent incidents of fishing boats being forced to leave Killybegs is to be held this weekend.
The meeting has been called by Manus Boyle of Killybegs Stevedores Ltd and will take place in the Tara Hotel at 4pm on Saturday.
A statement issued by the Irish Seafood and Fishing Alliance said the sanctions are having a damaging effect on local companies.
“Following recent events in Killybegs when unreasonable demands made by Ireland’s Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) resulted in the loss of four Danish & Norwegian vessels refusing to land at the town, costing the local industry in excess of one million euros, an open public meeting will be held at the Tara Hotel (downstairs) at 4pm Friday 8th April, called by Manus Boyle of Killybegs Stevedores Ltd.
“The SFPA’s actions, and the knock-on damaging effects it is having on local processing and service companies and yet Minister Charlie McConalogue and his department officials continue to defend the SFPA.
“The meeting will be chaired by Mr Boyle and in attendance will be Brendan Byrne of the IFPEA, Cormac Burke, IFSA Chairman and Aodh O’Donnell of the IFPO, as well as representatives of the Killybegs Harbour Development Group (KHDG).
“ALL members of the public, fishermen, processors, factory workers, shop & catering staff and political representatives (from all parties) are invited to attend, give their opinion and participate in the formulation of an Action Plan to stop the increasing harassment of the Irish fishing industry by Department of Marine civil servants and the SFPA.
“Pressure must be put on the Taoiseach to launch an investigation into the last two decades’ operations of the Department of Marine officials and their ongoing involvement in the SFPA.”
