Some Codling Wind Farm Codology?

A mighty wind…

pledge of €500,000 this week by the Codling Bank developers to Wicklow’s local fisheries industry has been deemed a joke by Greystones fisherman Ivan Toole.

With 7 wind farm projects currently vying for position off our coasts, Toole reckons 50% of the fishing grounds will be lost when the turbines arrive.

“In 5 years, there won’t be a fishing industry here,” he says. “Simple as that.”

With “probably 50 boats” operating off Wicklow coast for 40-odd years when it comes to whelk fishing, Toole points out that for every one job at sea there are 7.1 on land – meaning “there are 1,000 local jobs from fishing in this small area.

“So, €500,000 is a drop in the ocean. Literally, given that these wind farms are all part of a multi-billion euro project.”

As to the ongoing dispute over landing their catch in Greystones harbour, as Ivan and co slowly make their way through the courts with both a BJ Marine and a Wicklow County Council case, they returned from their fishing last week to find someone had removed all the cleats once again.

Meaning they have to again resort to tying up on the pier ladders, for which BJ Marine have a habit of issuing daily €75 fines. “We’ve still got a ton of those at home,” says Ivan.

The next court case if May 15th, “and at this point, I’m not even sure what that one’s about.

“This has been going on forever, and when you have someone vandalising your cleats, it makes you think that this stand-off might actually go on even longer than forever…”