Some 200 herring fishermen protested in Cobh, Co Cork, yesterday at the failure of the Government to act on what they described as the collapse of the industry. The protest took place outside the Commodore Hotel, where the Government Task Force on the Herring Industry was meeting. More than 40 herring boats were tied up at the quayside.
Mr Donal O'Sullivan, a spokesman for the fishermen, said the price of herring had dropped by more than £75 a tonne, causing severe hardship. "One herring is now worth only one penny - that's why we are giving fish away here today to anyone who wants them," he said. "What we need as a matter of urgency is an aid package similar to what the farmers are getting."
Because of over-production by Norwegian fishermen, the traditional German market for Irish exports no longer existed, Mr O'Sullivan said, and the Japanese market had also collapsed. "The establishment of the task force was welcomed but . . . it is not providing the answer to the shortterm crisis," said Mr O'Sullivan.