The day Clogherhead fishermen gave away fish on West Street

ST. Peter the fisherman was very generous in Drogheda on Friday after £3,000 worth of free fish was grabbed up by an eager public in one half hour outside St. Peter’s Church.

“It was some cleanout,” said one of the Clogherhead fishermen who gave away the fish as part of a Nationwide protest, “if only we could have that sort of demand when we are selling our fish.”

At 8am, they set up their stand on West Street armed with 20 boxes of fish their lorries blazoned with banners bearing slogans like “Clogherhead trawlers for sale, auctioneer, Paddy Power, Minister for Fisheries.”

The men in their unique way were making a point about the slump in the price of fish especially prawns, flood of foreign fish into the country and crippling cost of diesel oil to trawlermen.

Leaflets which were landed out to the public demanded Bord Iascaigh Mhara ‘ announce a moratorium on repayments from hard-pressed boat owners. The fishermen also want the Government to introduce a fuel subsidy and financially support the market by buying up fish and freezing it for the duration of the recession.

Said Mr. Connolly, chairman of the Clogherhead Fishermen’s committee: “The other week 9 tons of prawns came into Waterford from the French colonies. That destroys prices here.”

At the free fish stands the fishermen in response to public demand decided to start their giveaway 15 minutes early. The scenes that followed were incredible. People in their droves besieged the fish lorries, some of them even climbing up onto the backs of the vehicles.

“There’s a long day in it yet ladies and gentlemen, take your time,”skipper Terry Butterly exhorted them.

But it wasn’t so long at all, for the fish were cleaned out by 10.15. Two delighted customers who went away with their arms full were Peter Meegan of Termonfeckin and Jimmy Shevlin, Monasterboice.

Both agreed that the fishermen were being treated unfairly. “They are getting no money for their fish. Yet morning after morning they go out risking their lives to catch them for us,” they said.