Talks take place today aimed at averting a repeat of yesterday's blockade of Rosslare Europort in Wexford, which disrupted the travel plans of up to 1,500 passengers, write Chris Dooley in Rosslare and Lorna Siggins.
The action by mainly Kilmore Quay-based scallop fishermen, over restrictions on the number of days they are allowed to fish, caused the cancellation of six sailings between Rosslare and two Welsh ports, Fishguard and Pembroke. Fishermen also blockaded the port at Waterford, which solely handles freight traffic.
The actions were called off at 2pm following the intervention of local TDs John Browne, of Fianna Fáil, and Dr Liam Twomey, of Fine Gael, but there is a threat of further protests this afternoon if talks with Mr Browne this morning are unsuccessful.
The Rosslare port harbour master and operations manager, Capt Aedan Jameson, said about 3,000 passengers use the port every day, and up to half of these had been affected by yesterday's action. Some 400 commercial trucks also pass through the port daily.
The blockade, the first of its kind at Rosslare for more than 20 years, began at 6.30am when the first of the 11 boats used began arriving in the harbour. Eight boats were used in the action at Waterford.
The protest caused the cancellation of the 8am and 9am Stena Line sailings to Fishguard and the 8.45am Irish Ferries service to Pembroke, and as a consequence the return sailing of each.
The entrance to Rosslare port was also blocked for a while when a lorry was parked across the road, and there was a brief angry exchange between supporters of the protest and intending passengers. Gardaí arrived and helped to defuse the situation, and the lorry was moved.
Capt Jameson criticised the fishermen's action, saying the port and the shipping companies were "stuck in the middle" of a dispute over which they had no control. The port authorities had been in touch with both the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources and fishermen's organisations about the matter.
Minister of State for the Marine, Pat the Cope Gallagher, said he was available at any stage for discussions. He had already made it clear, however, that he was unable to accede to a series of requests from the fishermen, who were hit with the new restrictions at last December's EU fisheries council in Brussels. These mean most boats would only have 55 days fishing this year - a situation which makes the fleet unviable, according to fishermen.
The Irish South and East Fishermen's Organisation said it did not condone yesterday's action and it welcomed the lifting of the blockades. But its chief executive, Michael Walsh, said the fishermen were "fed up listening to us getting nowhere" and had acted out of "pure frustration".