A Turning Tide in the Life of Man

A Turning Tide in the Life of Man

Just stand at the rail Colm, right.

We could have left it a little longer...

Maybe you want us to stay out until morning...

It's a wee small one...

Keep its head raised or it'll get away.

Get me the knife.

It's over in there.

We've landed salmon here on this pier for generations.

I took my first steps here,

and so did my wife.

We're both from the island

and everyone here speaks Gaelic.

We've six children

and the oldest boys go out fishing with me.

Inishboffin Island Donegal, Ireland

I was 11 when I first started fishing with my father and my brothers.

We followed the seasons.

In spring we fished for mackerel.

In June it was herring season;

salmon during the summer

then mostly crab and lobster through autumn and winter,

as long as the weather lasted.

We respected each species of fish.

Giving them time to grow and to reproduce.

When we weren't out at sea,

we had work to do on land,

building curraghs...

making lobster pots...

or fixing nets.

All the men were out on the boats.

Fishing is the only source of income we have here.

There are some good pots there, MuirAls...

Oh yes, they're great pots.

Indeed, it's mostly weeds. They're called lustan.

We're soaked wet. That'll do for today.

We were protected from the famine here on the island.

We would out turf on the mainland

to keep us warm through winter.

We didn't depend a lot on the mainland.

And we could easily row across if there was anything we badly needed.

Come here.

Are you a good girl?

Come and Dad will fix your hair.

Daddy's good wee girl.

In the 1980's.

A few years after Ireland joined the European Union

we still didn't have running water or electricity on the Island.

Then out of nowhere. huge modern boats appeared

and they started taking our herring and mackerel quotas...

After that...

regulations got heavier every year...

and we were slowly suffocating.

Now we totally depend on wild salmon fishing

even if we can't catch many.

The salmon is woven into our tales and our songs.

The salmon represents knowledge.

The salmon is the king of all fish.

He knows his way back from the sea

right to the river where he was born.

The methods we use to catch him at sea are very special.

They've been handed down through the generations.

November 2006.

For years salmon fishing in Irish rivers

is attracting tourist anglers from all around the world

and is worth millions to the Irish economy.

Now, with the decline of salmon

they blame fishermen like us

that not enough salmon are going up the rivers.

I'm nervous.

Today is the last meeting of the Salmon Commission

where myself and a colleague represent driftnet fishermen.

We are powerless against the huge campaign

of the international angler's organisations

and the tourism lobby

who are threatening our government to go to the European court of justice

if we are not banned from salmon fishing.

So up to the last minute

I try to reason with the representatives of the Anglers' organisation.

There are salmon out there all year round.

Consider if we had 30 days of salmon fishing

while salmon are out there 365 days,

The time we spend out there isn't doing much damage to the salmon stocks.

It's not a personal thing. It's a business thing.

This is to protect and conserve

the environment and the salmon.

Look at the figures. There is nothing else left.

Who is more crucial to an area?

The tourists or the people who live there?

So, we have to leave it at that.

Inishboffin Island

June 2007.

Today, it's official...

The Anglers and Tourism lobby have won.

Our own government is banning us from fishing salmon.

They ask that an exception should be made

with regards to island fishing.

Would you agree? What's your personal opinion?

Island fishing has to be developed.

But as far as drift nets are concerned, the Government has decided to end it.

Will they change their minds, do you think?

Will they make an exception for islands?

Salmon fishing with drift nets is over.

The Government has made that decision, they will not change it.

Minister, I'm sure you understand their difficulties

and these problems do exist at the moment.

There is no doubt that they exist.

But the people who succeed in life, generally

are those who can turn those difficulties to their advantage.

On the island we've learned to accept things and to keep quiet.

We've learned to give in again and again.

Before now, we followed the laws of nature

and adapted to the seas and the storms.

Whereas today.

We're forced to live by the laws of others...

and all the time.

You're supposed to keep silent.

RTAE Radio Gweedore, County Donegal

You say you'll go fishing. even though you know it's illegal.

But aren't there dangers involved, John?

As regards breaking the law. I don't think I'm breaking it.

I believe you should be able

to earn your livelihood in the way you always did.

I don't think it would happen in any other situation.

If I'm caught out there

and the nets are confiscated on the first day.

And there is a fine and I don't pay it, I'll be sent to prison.

Apart from leaving my wife and children, prison doesn't bother me.

I would prefer to go to prison

rather then accept how things are now.

Do you think it will come to that. and that it might happen?

There is a chance that it will happen.

Dublin

It's not money we want. All we want is to fish salmon,

like our fathers and our grandfathers before us.

Have things become so bad...

that we now have no choice but to fish salmon illegally?

I must now decide, for the sake of my family and my sons.

The government has offered me 80,000 euros

as compensation for my salmon license.

But if I gave away my license...

I would never again be allowed to fish for salmon.

And the survival of our island communities

depends on our fishing...

It's the only way you can survive here.

Almighty God, I ask you to bless this salt.

As you did the salt the Prophet Isaiah threw on the water.

Bless the fishermen when they go out

may they be under Saint Bridget's mantle as they sail the seas.

And Lord, stay beside them, until they reach dry land again.

July 200s.

For two years now...

I haven't fished for salmon

and I have flatly refused to sell my license.

The only compromise I could make.

Was to go intensively into crab and lobster fishing.

30 other small fishermen have also refused compensation.

All islanders.

That's no coincidence.

We've all decided to meet on Arranmore Island

and we are determined to struggle for our case.

Anne-Marie from Tory Island

has invited lain MacKinnon. a Scottish scientist.

He has fought for the rights of coastal communities in Scotland

and he may be able to help us.

Is that Patrick's boat?

No, that's our boat: Silver Rose.

That's the mast for lifting the fish

and there's a rope for setting anchor.

It is full of cracks?

Maybe it's under 'International Court of Justice'.

That's SAeamus...

AEamon AO CuAiv, the Minister for Gaelic speaking regions

is coming to his Donegal office for a meeting about our pier.

After so many years of neglect,

I'm surprised that our government finally wants to help us.

Minister's Office for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Gweedore, Co. Donegal

I'm very excited

to get the opportunity to tell him about our new idea

to make a special case for the island communities.

An exception should be made for Islanders in terms of the whole fishing industry.

Not just salmon fishing,

but herring, mackerel and all fish.

People often have opinions

that I don't necessarily agree with.

What I often have to do is...

make a judgement about what chance people have.

It's a political decision now.

Yes, the State was permitted to take that decision.

And that decision was made.

But the State is permitted to open the case again.

What I'm saying is that the decision was made and it will never be opened again.

But we'll wait and see what Pat The Cope is saying.

We'll put forward your case, strongly

but I don't want people to depend on a change of policy.

Do you think we would have any chance in Europe?

Not a chance. Because the pressure to stop drift nets is coming from Europe.

No, Europe wants the EU Habitat Directive to manage things...

No, they want to stop drift net fishing, too.

They say that it's not proper management.