Erris Fishermen protest against Shell plans

mayo | environment | news report

Tuesday July 15, 2008 19:15

by Rudiger - S2S

Summary of yesterdays protest held by Erris Inshore Fishermen's Association (EIFA)

Yesterday a protest was held at Ballyglass pier close to Belmullet by the Erris Inshore Fishermen's Association (EIFA) in which about 30 boats and around 100 fishermen formed a flotilla and were met by a large group of supporters as they arrived into the pier.
The EIFA have engaged with Shell for the last 7 years but have found that as usual Shell is only interested in telling them how things will be done.
Mr Eddie Diver, Chairman of EIFA said in speech to the assembled crowd “All along we have been very reasonable in our approach but we haven’t got any support from the Government. We cannot accept the location of the outflow pipe with its toxic, heavy metals. We’ve been told by various government officials that they cannot move this piece of plastic pipe; surely with Shell’s huge profits and the increasing value of this field they can afford it”
The main issue for the fisher men is the damage that the waste outflow pipe from the refinery will do to the fishing areas around Broadhaven Bay.
Pat O Donnell said “We’ve been fishing these waters for generations and we all have licences to fish them. So let the Minister for Justice and the Government protect our rights now the way they brought in the Gardaí to protect the workers on the gas refinery,”
He added that if Shell wanted to remove his crab pots from the route of the pipeline, they would have to get a court order. “And I won’t heed the court order so they’ll have to send me and other fishermen to jail.”

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It has been a pretty bad week PR wise for Shell. At a recent press conference held John Egan, Shell’s chief propaganda officer initially said that he couldn’t talk about the security at glengad when challenged by a Midwest Radio journalist over why she was filmed herself. However he later changed his story to say that the security personnel “do not turn on the cameras until such time as they believe that an incident is either about to occur or is occurring” and he stated that while people are swimming “the cameras are not switched on”. However a journalist has stated in this weeks’ Mayo Echo that while their journalist was only about 10 feet away he saw a security man with a “camera to his face, and the video camera was clearly switched on. He [the security guard] was clearly seen to point it towards a person who was undressing on the beach, and the camera followed this man as he entered the water, and whilst he was swimming. The security staff also filmed others walking on the beach”.
Also in the Mayo Echo it quotes from the new Private Security Services Act 2004 states, “An individual ... shall, when providing a security service, wear an identity badge” and the badge should “clearly indicates the licence number of the licensee concerned”.
I’ve rarely seen Shell get as bad a tongue-lashing in the press and it can be view here in pdf: http://www.mayoecho.com/this%20weeks%20edition/pdfs/MAY...1.pdf http://www.mayoecho.com/this%20weeks%20edition/pdfs/MAY...2.pdf http://www.mayoecho.com/this%20weeks%20edition/pdfs/MAY...4.pdf

There has also been a radio program on Midwest Radio in the last week regarding the road that MCC are currently widening for Shell.

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Comments (8 of 8)

3 more photos

by Rudiger

Tue Jul 15, 2008 19:19

the people who belong

by Chrissie

Tue Jul 15, 2008 22:15

The people who belong to Erris, & their supporters, will defend their lands & livelihood despite Shell & a rotten Government.
Fair play to the people for their courage & endurance. Shell are starting to realise that Ireland is not Nigeria, & no country on earth is theirs to ruin for profit.

moorings

by D Doyle

Tue Jul 15, 2008 22:21

Fair play the Mayo Echo too. Whats happening at RNLIs pier at Ballyglass?

Shell and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child

by m.m.mccarron

Wed Jul 16, 2008 11:17

The Irish Government has a UN requirement to protect the Rights of the Child.

Article 6 would pay attention to harrasement in situations of conflict and security and in Article 16 which protects the right to privacy for the Child. This would include freedom from being photographed by unknown persons. Article 24 refers to the right of children to safe play areas and Article 31 requires play areas. All of Article 40 deals with the administrarion of justice if the Courts are approached for juvenile complainants.

It may be advisable for the local complainants to copy their concerns to the Childrens' Ombudsman and to the Irish Commision of Human Rights and the the Irish Council of Civil Liberties as well as to the Justice Spokesperson of each political party.

Yesterday and today the relevant committee of the UN is examining the five yearly report sent in by the Irish government on the exercise of civil and political rights in this country. Answers are being sought to questions raised by the Shadow Report also submited.

Human Rights in relation to Shell have been raised elsewhere. Human Rights Watch would have such reports

RTE coverage this morning

by John Kelly

Wed Jul 16, 2008 16:30

Myles Dungan carried a 25 minute slot on the filming issue this morning on RTE radio. John Egan chief spin artist for Shell did'nt come out well. He said the filming of the families and children was "wrong". Dungan put to him the logical corrollary flowing from that, ie they will ensure their "masked" hired hands will desist from such actions. Egan categorically refused to give such assurance on behalf of Shell.

There is a rumour that the Govt is preparing an amendment to the Constitution to the effect that the provisions and human rights protections of the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights shall not apply to Mayo and that such amendment to the Constitution will be retroactive !

Shell/Gardai Security Corps

by Looking On

Thu Jul 17, 2008 03:55

Heard the programme and when I watched the so - called security operatives in black uniforms receive their briefing from two casually but well dressed middle aged Irish men in the foyer of Broadhaven Bay Hotel mid morning about a month ago I noted that contrary to today's report the three did not have a security label at that time - not even a nondescript one on the back of their jackets. Photographs on indymedia bears this out. By the way a Garda car then took these three operatives out of the hotel carpark. No wonder the Gardai have been slow to follow up Mr. Henry's complaint.

Collect and retain evidence,their Hour will come

by J K

Thu Jul 17, 2008 17:59

Really important to log and record all of these events, obtaining and retaining evidence cannot be over-estimated because their hour will come.

Giggling intrusive nameless security

by linker

Fri Jul 18, 2008 22:00

http://dynamic.rte.ie/quickaxs/209-rte-todaywithpatkenn....smil John Egan defends the indefensible yet again.And refuses to name security company.

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Erris Fishermen protest against Shell plans

Comments (8 of 8)