Letter to the fishing community re Pat O'Donnell and Shell

national | rights, freedoms and repression | opinion/analysis Monday June 22, 2009 23:40 by John - Cork Shell to Sea corkshelltosea at gmail dot com

Looking for solidarity. Linking issues. Looking for information on fishing rights

While in Cobh today, we also met some of the local fishermen who still manage to work despite years of depredation by the pharmaceutical industry in the harbour. We passed on to them copies of this letter printed here which we encourage anyone else with any contacts whatsoever in the fishing community to use to communicate to the the situation to other fishermen. I am also looking for information regarding the state of the fishing industry in Ireland over the last 60 years.
I am coming to understand that our fishing rights have been given away as surely as our oil and gas over a longer period. I am convinced that these issues have to be linked in the common consciousness.
A significant difference being that fishing, done right is a renewable resource. It ain't being done right now. The Sea is being f**ked and so are the fishermen. If only ye could stand together lads.

To: The fishing communities of Ireland 22/6/09
Re: Shell’s Corrib Gas Project, Sinking of Pat “the Chief” O’Donnells boat
From: Cork Shell to Sea
Please circulate this letter – Thankyou

This is to draw your attention to recent events in Erris, County Mayo. Most specifically to the sinking of local fisherman Pat O’Donnell’s boat, The Iona Isle by elements almost certainly working for Shell EP Ireland, it is also to ask for your support and engagement with this matter, because this is your struggle too.
Ireland will not gain from this project.
The theft of Ireland’s oil and gas is directly analogous to the long term giveaway/theft of Ireland’s fishing rights.
These matters are connected and require the concerted involvement of large numbers of people to sort them out.

Pat and his family have shown extraordinary courage in defending fishing and mineral rights, spending large sums of their own money to do so. Now he has lost a fundamental chunk of his livelihood as well as having been threatened and assaulted. To add insult to injury he is now being lied about by people unwilling to face the truth or with a vested interest in spreading lies about him.

Pat O’Donnell is a man we are honoured to have got to know personally. He is a man of honour and courage and to see him treated this way takes us to a place beyond rage, to one of deep sorrow at the failure of too many people to stand by one who deserves all our support. He is fighting for the rights of anyone who has ever caught or eaten a fish, who has ever worked to support a family or who has a fierce love for their home place.

The Irish Fishermen showed fortitude and effectiveness at the time of the Lisbon Referendum, helping delay the ongoing handover of sovereignty and power. There is a need for this again. It makes sense to find common ground and stand with other struggles.

Giant pipelaying vessel, the Solitaire is imminently expected in Irish waters with the support of the Irish Navy. Last year it was stopped through determined direct action by a relatively small group of people who put themselves on the line for the rest of us. Pat was one of these. This is why he is being targeted by Shell. They are trying to remove him by force where money could not succeed. We cannot allow this to happen.
Fishermen have had much taken from them over the last 60 years. It is time to take it back.
What you can do:
• Circulate this letter widely asap
• Inform yourself as to the issues: www.shelltosea.com www.indymedia.ie
• Send letters of support/ cash donations etc to Pat O’Donnell, Portulin, Erris, Co Mayo
• Ally yourselves with other campaigns and movements
• Look to direct action as a method for resolving your difficulties
• Get yourselves to Broadhaven bay by land and Sea to send the Solitaire away
Thanks for reading - Cork Shell to Sea