Scallop fishermen are furious at quota rules which leave them with 55 days' fishing in a 12-month period, writes Lorna Siggins, Marine Correspondent.
Minister of State for the Marine Pat the Cope Gallagher wasn't totally surprised by yesterday's blockade of Rosslare and Waterford harbours. Late last week he received a warning from scallop fishermen that such action might be taken in one or more ports.
That it should occur so soon, on a bank holiday Monday, would not have been anticipated - and the frustration felt by the protesting fishermen and their families was quickly matched by the anger of hundreds of trapped ferry passengers.
The last such action taken by Irish fishing vessels was over Celtic sea herring restrictions in 1982 and involved nine ports, including Dublin.
In contrast to 1982, when five fishermen were jailed for 16 days and warnings were sounded on the devastating impact of the EU's proposed Common Fisheries Policy, yesterday's action was not condoned by any representative industry body.
However, the Irish South and East Fishermen's Organisation (IS&EFO), which has been arguing the scallop skippers' case, says it can understand why "desperation" took over.
The background to the dispute is complex and linked to a fishery management deal agreed in Brussels last year. Under the arrangement, an allocation of fishing time or "kilowatt days" was given to the scallop fleet which translated into about 55 days of fishing over a 12-month period.
The allocation was based on records set by the fleet between 1998 and 2002, and took into account the fact that the stock was under pressure.
Coincidentally, during that five-year period, many of the 19 scallop boats engaged in the lucrative fishery had geared up their vessels. They could, therefore, not hope to survive on 55 days.
As grounds off Wexford and Waterford had become depleted, the vessels were having to travel further to new grounds in the English Channel - using up some of the precious time allocation on "dead" steaming time.
A series of meetings between the IS&EFO and the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources appeared to make little progress, and the fishermen held two protests in Dublin, at Leinster House, and in Galway, to highlight their case.
Then just over a month ago, a separate development exacerbated tensions. Mr Gallagher secured agreement to introduce a long-awaited decommissioning scheme for white fish vessels, allowing boat owners in financial hardship to be compensated for the first time.
Unfortunately, it was made clear that the scrapping scheme would not apply to the scallop fleet.
The IS&EFO offered to tie up eight of the larger scallop vessels in return for compensation of almost €5 million, and to allow five of the smallest boats to fish for the rest of the remaining season. Mr Gallagher said he had no funds for this.
The IS&EFO maintains that up to 500 jobs at sea and onshore could be affected, as the cuts have already had an impact on processing factories in the region.
Michael Walsh, chief executive of the IS&EFO, said: "A 500 per cent increase in the French scallop quota means that our factories may have to import from there if they are to remain in business, and that is just unacceptable."
Mr Walsh is due to meet Minister of State for Agriculture John Browne today. Mr Gallagher has made it clear that he is available for further talks.