Canada wants to hear more about Island fishermen's fight for indigenous rights

This week I received a letter from Canada.  A week which sees a rather large trawler, MFV Margris off our coast, which according to Waterford Whispers has dragged Inis Mor off its moorings.   A week were the social justice organisation, Uplift has coordinated a campaign to ban supertrawlers of our coast. the campaign kicked off  on the 10th of November and has 24721 signatures to date.Sign petition.
 
The letter is below, with a link to the database.  Warren is looking for further information.  It is interesting to see that our islanders are making waves that are reaching across the Atlantic to another fishing territory.

MFV Margris

My name is Warren, I am Geography student at Memorial University of Newfoundland, in St. John's, Canada (we are the furthest east city in North America, so if you sailed across in this direction from Arranmore, you'd hit us after about 1800 miles or so!).

I am currently doing a project for my final year fisheries class on small scale fisheries and have been focusing on the island of Arranmore.
One of the assignments is to create a profile for the fishery in question, using a piece of software developed by my university that is accessible across across the world.

It is called the Information System on Small Scale Fisheries (ISSF) and can be found at this web link.

https://dory.creait.mun.ca/

https://dory.creait.mun.ca/details/profile/2419/

The first web link is for the program itself, the second is the profile for Arranmore the fishery itself which I have recently created.

I've done quite a lot of reading with regards to the fishery, and watched interviews and a documentary about the decline of the fishing industry, the associated legal battles and ongoing fight to relax the ban on certain species and catching practices.

However, there is a lot of information that would require a more personal and local knowledge for me to answer, specific to the fishery itself, the kind of equipment, boats, employment characteristics.

So I'm writing today to ask first of all if I have your blessing to continue my project on Arranmore, and secondly if you could help me, or point me in the direction of a fisherman/boat owner who would be able to help be complete this project.

At Memorial we are very proud of the ISSF software, and each year new students and research members from faculty are increasing our database through a variety of means, be that through placement of academic articles onto the map, through researchers all over the world contributing to the site and adding local contexts. The small scale fisheries profiles is an exciting student based program as well, which I hope you will be able to see the value of.

If you would be able to be of any assistance, it would be much appreciated in equal measure, I feel it would be a very positive thing for Arranmore as well.
Thank you for your time.
Yours Sincerely
Warren Moore



Dictionary from Wikipedia

Indigenous peoples are those groups especially protected in international or national legislation as having a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory, and their cultural or historical distinctiveness from other populations.


Dr Shirley Gallagher

 

Grainger Energy Solutions Limited are SEAI/NSAI/Weber approved external insulation providers

Grainger Energy Solutions Limited improve building energy performance in Ireland. External insulation services reduce U values and help enable Ireland achieve its European target by 2020 of 20:20:20.  Please feel free to get in contact if you are interested in reaching this goal by external insulation and/or other methodologies.  Saving you money and energy. Eamonn is an approved supplier of both Weber and Rockwool insulation products and is NSAI and SEAI certified.

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Soilse Sráide – Street Lighting

Má thabharfar faoi deara soilse sráide nach bhfuil ag obair, tabhair suíomh agus uimhir an tsolais le fios don chomharchumann. Beidh an BSL ag teacht chun an oileáin gan mhoill chun obair chothabhála a dhéanamh ar na soilse sráide.

Street lighting in need of repairs can be reported to An Comharchumann by providing location and light number. The ESB is due to visit in the near future to undertake repair works.

Football Pub Quiz

An ALL FOOTBALL pub quiz will be heard in Early's Bar, Friday, 29th May starting 10pm sharp. The ideal way to kick off the great weekend that is the Arranmore Challenge!

Teams will be maximum 5 a side which provides an opportunity for the football teams to split up and battle it out. Entry will be €3 per person with a small raffle being held on the night. All proceeds will be donated to Arranmore Utd football club.

Bragging rights are up for grabs!! All welcome!

Summer Activities on Arranmore Island 2015

Tá an Samhradh ag teacht le Ionad an Chrois Bhealaigh!

Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme

Do you have an idea that could benefit your local community?

Are you planning a community development activity?

Or Are you aiming to provide a learning or developmental programme for children, youth or adults in your local community?

Donegal Local Development Company Ltd (DLDC) has been contracted to deliver the Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme (SICAP) by the Donegal Local Community Development Committee over the years 2015 – 2017. SICAP is funded by the Irish Government and co-funded by the European Social Fund and includes a special allocation under the Youth Employment Initiative.

Under this new programme, DLDC aims to work with individuals and community groups within Donegal to support their needs, activities and life-long learning facilitated by the SICAP programme funds.

DLDCs aims to support activities that have a focus on reducing poverty, promoting social inclusion, equality and improving the life chances and opportunities to those who are most disadvantaged and excluded in our society.

You can get in touch to register your interest and see how DLDC can help by contacting their Letterkenny Office on 07491 27056 or the Gweedore Office on 07495 32712.

Aphort School Centenary Meeting

There will be an Aphort School Centenary meeting for committee members, board of management and parents next Tuesday the 26th of May at 3.30pm to discuss and plan events for the centenary weekend.

Arranmore Lifeboat Car Wash

The amount raised at the Arranmore Lifeboat car wash fundraiser on Easter Monday was €534.73. Thank you for your generosity and continued support of the lifeboat.

Thank You

Denis O'Donnell would like to thank everyone who sponsored him in the recent London marathon and anyone who helped in any way. €3600 was raised for the Aphort National School Centenary. Well done Denis!!

Referendum

Voting on the up-coming referendum will take place on Arranmore Island in both national schools from 10.30am to 7.30pm on Thursday 21st May.

Information Night - Supporting Communities

Weekly Market

Beidh Comharchumann Forbartha & Fostaíochta Árainn Mhór ag reachtail margadh gach Aoine ó mí Meitheamh. Ma tá earraí aitiúil agat agus tá tú ag iarradh pairt a glacadh sa margadh cur scairt ar Séamus ins an Ionad Pobail ag 07495 20024.

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CFFAM will be organising a weekly market every Friday at Ionad an Chrois Bhealaigh from June. If you have any local produce that you would like to have sold please contact Séamus at 07495 20024.

Clean Coasts 2015

The next Arranmore Island clean coasts beach clean-up will be held on Saturday 23rd May. Everyone who would like to help are asked to meet beforehand at 1pm at Ionad an Chrois Bhealaigh. It would be great to see a good turnout to help clean our beaches as a lot of plastics and other debris has been washed up over the winter months. All welcome and please spread the word!

Reminder - Fish Handling Course

A 3 day Fish Handling and Filleting course with Hal Dawson, in association with Taste4Success Skillsnet, will be held on Arranmore Island beginning Monday 11th May.

3rd Annual Wee Neily Boyle fundraiser - Thank You

A big thank you to all who attended the 3rd annual Wee Neily Boyle fundraiser in aid of Donegal Hospice. Once again the event was a huge success raising a total of €3,770.

A special thank you to all those that donated and those that gave spot prizes: Mooney boats, DjPat Cook, Áine Boyle, Teac Phil Ban, Margaret Boyle, John Pally, Club Beag, Colm Harold, Charlie Mace, Crona O'Donnell, Manus Early, DiveArranmore Charters, McElwees, Comharchumann Arainnmhor, Alice Mcgowan, Gordan Ryan, Lurgy Brack and McDevitts Auto Factors.

To all who helped on the day, a big thank you for your support: Maggie Boyle, Grace Boyle, Margaret Boyle, Annette Mary Eddie, Helena Gallagher, Rachael Early, Aine Boyle, Thomas Costello, Mary Rodgers and Peter.

Finally to all the great entertainment: Trad na nOg, Maghery band, Crickmore band, Annagry band, Pipe Band Arranmore, The resident musicians (Green Island), Darren O'Donnell and his dancers, Off the Kuff and Denis O'Donnell.

If we left anyone out would like to apologise in advance.

The money raised will be used for palliative care in the local community.

~ Philip Stack Boyle

Photos: Mary Rodgers