A SALMON drift net fisherman said yesterday that “it is like a death in the family not being able to fish in the Shannon estuary for salmon”.
Bill Grimes (66) of Upper Coonagh, Limerick, was yesterday speaking after the outcome of a trial at a special sitting of Ennis District Court where he and seven of his colleagues were convicted and fined for salmon fishing with a net in the Shannon estuary on June 28th last year during the course of a protest at the Government ban. The Government outlawed salmon drift net fishing on the Shannon in 2007.
One of the group and former board member of the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board, Matthew Benn of Craven Cottage, Kilkishen, Co Clare, told the court the fishermen took to their four boats last June “out of total frustration”.
Mr Benn told the court: “I am proud of the heritage of salmon fishing in the Shannon. I was born into it and I’ll die into it.” Mr Benn said the drift net fishermen are “very frustrated . . . that we are not allowed fish, but at the same time 1,200 rod and line licences have been given out”.
Another of the group, Jim Roberts, Newtown, Clarina, Co Limerick, told the court the men did not fish on the night, but were there to highlight their situation.
Their solicitor, John Callinan, said the men “were all licensed fishermen and the ban has resulted in a substantial loss to them. None of them are in good circumstances.”
He added: “They were mainly motivated in their protest to maintain their ancient rights that go back over 1,000 years. They have to be commended for not taking the shilling from the Government in their ‘take or leave it’ buyout when the ban was introduced.”
Judge Timothy Lucey said he recognised the fisherman “have lost something very ancient and I know that goes very deep with them”. He said: “They are very well intentioned people and it is unfortunate that they are here. I hope things change for them and that the stocks will improve. I accept that they were protesting and not seriously trying to catch fish, but they were fishing.”
Judge Lucey fined each of the men €100 and ordered each to pay €150 towards Inland Fisheries Ireland’s costs.
The other five to be convicted were Peter Byrnes of Newtown, Clarina, Co Limerick; Richard Kiely of Craggaun, Newtown, Clarina, Co Limerick; Tom Davis of de Valera Park, Thomondgate, Limerick; Michael Grimes of Upper Coonagh, Limerick and Jimmy Grimes of Kenyons Avenue, Killeely, Limerick.
