Morgan voices support for Fishermen

Morgan joins protesting fishermen

SINN FÉIN TD Arthur Morgan voiced his support for the protests by fishermen in Dublin this week to coincide with the visit of French President Nicolas Sarkozy. The Louth TD attended protests at O’Connell Bridge and outside Government Buildings.
Morgan said: “Irish fishermen are facing an unprecedented crisis at the current time. Indeed it would be no exaggeration to say that the very survival of the sector is at stake.
“It has been brought to a head by the recent steep rise in fuel prices, but in many ways that only threatens to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. The fact is that increasing restrictions and a completely unbalanced and unfair quota system that discriminates against Irish fishermen in our own waters, have already brought fishing to its knees.
“The priority now must be to provide immediate and meaningful aid to allow fishermen to remain in business rather than pay them to give up fishing. But the real problems can only be addressed through a radical overhaul of the Common Fisheries Policy to allow this country regain control of what ought to be a valuable natural resource and source of employment.”