BYCRONANSCANLON
VISITING anglers have been told to stay away from the Gweebara River following an escalation of a protest over the loss of fishing rights there.
The call was made in Doochary yesterday by the secretary of the Donegal Game Anglers' Federation (DGAF), Mr Peader O'Baoill, after several hundred turned out to support their protest.
They were protesting against an agreement between the Northern Regional Fisheries Board (NRFB) and the recently formed Gweebara Fishing Club covering the management of the river. The agreement means that local anglers fishing rights are being taken away. The river has traditionally been fished on one side by the Fintown Anglers and the other side by the Rosses Anglers. For generations they fished the "open river" for free, however, they will now have to pay up to 50 euro per day to fish there as 'associate members' or visitors.
Nineteen visiting anglers were to fish there yesterday, the opening day of the new season, however, the river was closed as a result of the protest. The anglers warned that they will be back in force tomorrow when the NRFB make another attempt to open the river.
"We do not want any outside anglers near the river until our rights are recognised," said an angry Mr O'Baoil.
"We will allow them to fish alongside us, when we are recognised, but we will not allow them to fish in place of us".
He said that the protest was organised to garner support and to enlighten locals on what was happening there.
He said that they would do everything in their power to halt the NRFB imposing a catchment management plan on the Gweebarra river. Mr O'Baoill added that, under the new plan, local anglers will not be allowed become full members of the Gweebara Fishing Club.
"Apparently there are 76 members of the Gweebara club but we saw the list and there are only three locals that we know of," he said.
He added that the NRFB "never" consulted with them on the implementation of the plan which he said was done in a "hush hush" fashion.
"This plan is not about angling it's about money. This deal was signed by non anglers to accommodate outsiders. These people were supposed to represent local anglers but they just signed away the river. "We can not go to this river unless we contact the Fisheries Board first. Even the local land owners can not fish there without permission," he said.
"A genuine angler would never agree to something like that. We are going to fight this all the way until they site down and talk with us," concluded Mr O'Baoil.
He also criticised the County Mayor, Enda Bonner, and Junior Minister Pat the Cope Gallagher for failing to stop the agreement going ahead without local consultation.
In his address to the protesters, Mr David Magill of the DGAF, said that it is vitally important that the Government and the NRFB understand "very clearly" how they feel.
"Our mission to Doochary today is a peaceful and good humoured one ;we wish no harm to the local people. But make no mistake about it; this protest has been born out of anger and frustration at the behaviour of the Fishery Board and some members of the Gweebara club," Mr McGill said.
He added that the question of fishing rights in Ireland is one that engenders strong emotions, steeped as it is in the worst possible history of lords, landlords and private owners, going back centuries.
"How is it possible for such a situation to develop? Let me tell you why. When good men do nothing, evil prospers," he said.
He concluded that the Gweebara issue will spread nationwide and another "rod war" is imminent.
"Let us be very clear on this; the plan being implemented in Donegal is what the Government wants to see for the whole Country. The entire Country and the national Federations must pay attention to Donegal and assist us to halt this programme. It would appear that another rod war may be inevitable; if it happens it will be the Governments' responsibility. We have tried to warn them," he concluded.
A spokesperson for the NRFB could not be contacted at the time of going to press.
