Sea Fisheries Protection Authority officers yesterday swooped to inspect a vessel landing at Kilmore Quay, landing after its first trip for two months, reports the Wexford Dispatch.
The unnamed boat had not been to sea since December, yet immediately became the target of a raid by Sea Fisheries Protection Authority officers as its crew were landing their first trip of the year.
‘These men haven’t been able to earn a living for two months,’ commented local Sinn Fein Councillor Mick Roche, who had been contacted by the crew as the inspection unfolded. ‘And on their first day back to see they get raided and treated like petty criminals. Its just not right.’
He commented that SFPA officers treated the crew of the vessel with ‘absolute contempt.’
‘How can the communities of coastal communities like Kilmore Quay put any faith in the false promises of the government parties when their local fishing crews are dealing with this level of harassment?’ Mick Roche said.
