Compensate fishermen for damage by seals

AS marauding seals continue to eat into the livelihoods of inshore fishermen, local election candidate Breandán Fitzgerald is looking for the Government to set up a compensation fund that would make it possible for fishermen and seals to live side by side.

The sea around the Blaskets supports a population of at least 1,600 seals and they eat approximately 6.5 tonnes of fish a day. They get some of this fish by raiding the nets of any boats fishing in the vicinity and as a result fishermen would like to see the seals culled to bring the population down to what they consider a more sustainable level. However, seals are a protected species, so appeals for a cull are highly unlikely to be successful.

To overcome the impasse, Fianna Fáil local elections candidate Breandán Fitzgerald (pictured above) wants the Department of Fisheries to compensate fishermen whose gear and catch are damaged by seals.

“Fishermen and their families are asking me to help them come up with a solution to this issue. We need to work together to solve this problem and our priority must be better management of our fisheries, ensuring that our fishermen are looked after and their way of life safeguarded,” said Mr Fitzgerald.

“While the Department is wondering what to do and taking no action, we must ensure that our fishermen are adequately compensated for the damage that seals do to their catch and fishing gear. That is why I’m calling on the Minister for Fisheries to immediately set up a compensation fund through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund to compensate our fishermen,” he added.