UK Claim on Lough Foyle has never been settled

Historically, when Lough Foyle was discussed in Inishowen, the conversation revolved mostly around the fishing rights  and the disputed nature of who owned what.  In the end it usually ended up by agreeing that there is a dividing line separating the Lough into two halves  -  a half for them a half for us. In truth people did not have a clue about the true situations that pertains to the Lough.

It was only when Donegal Co Co came forward with a proposal to discharge sewage effluent into the Lough at Carnagarve (  www.savethefoyle.com )  and a local campaign group, Community For a Clean Estuary, carried out extensive research that the true picture began to emerge.  It quickly became very clear that Lough Foyle was a story in two parts  -  

1.  The use and management of the water in the Lough
2. Ownership of the sea-bed.

 

The Loughs Agency is tasked with the responsibility of part 1. This is clearly seen from their Mission Statement

"The Loughs Agency aims to provide sustainable social, economic and environmental benefits through the effective conservation, protection,management, promotion and development of the fisheries and marine resources of the Foyle and Carlingford Areas"  

 

It is only when the Fisheries Division of Northern Ireland and the Irish Govt combined and came forward in 2007 with Draft Legislation (Source: http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2007/act/17/section/4/enacted/en/html ) to regulate the Aquaculture  Fishery in Lough Foyle that the 'Elephant in the Room '  put in it's appearance in the guise of the Crown Estates.

When this legislation was presented to the Crown Estates as a 'stakeholder' for comment it is clear from the response (see letter crown_states.pdf ) that they would not accept the proposed draft legislation and from that date the process has stalled. The letter from the Crown Estates demonstrates and clarifies the true picture in relation to who calls the shots on the ownership of the sea bed of Lough Foyle.

This is the major 'spanner in the works ' which was never addressed from the foundation of the state and missed again by the Good Friday Agreement.

"In the context of the Good Friday Agreement, a decision was taken to co-operate on foreshore and other issues that arise in the management of the lough from conservation and other points of view." http://sluggerotoole.com

 

At least Mr James Brokenshire has put the British Government's cards on the table.  Will it force some kind of response from the Irish Authorities? 

This controversy has come to the fore again because of Brexit and if this British claim holds up what then are the implications for anyone from Donegal or indeed Republic of Ireland as a whole with regard to business andaccess to all amenities of Lough Foyle?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brexit revives territorial dispute between UK and Ireland over Lough Foyle

Northern Ireland Secretary of State James Brokenshire has reasserted London's claim over the entire lough

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire

Brexit has sparked its first territorial dispute - reigniting an ancient row over the ownership of Lough Foyle.

Claims over the vast estuary between Co Derry in Northern Ireland and Co Donegal in the Republic of Ireland have been made since the island was partitioned almost a century ago.

After the Good Friday Agreement peace deal, a cross-border body called the Loughs Agency was handed responsibility for the waters, a key strategic naval base during the Second World War.

But in the wake of the UK's vote to leave the European Union, Northern Ireland Secretary of State James Brokenshire has reasserted London's claim over the entire lough.

In response, Dublin has issued a fresh declaration saying it does not accept the claim and does not see Lough Foyle's disputed ownership being put on the table as part of the Brexit negotiations.

Mr Brokenshire was asked in a parliamentary question how fishing rights will be decided in both Lough Foyle and Carlingford Lough - which also straddles both jurisdictions - after the UK leaves the EU.

The Conservative minister said London is committed to withdrawing from the EU Common Fisheries Policy and putting a new fisheries regime in place.

But no actual decisions have yet been taken, he said, adding that the UK was bound by international law.

Asked specifically about Lough Foyle he added: "The Government's position remains that the whole of Lough Foyle is within the UK."

Dublin's Department of Foreign Affairs swiftly rejected the claim.

"Ireland has never accepted the UK's claim to the whole of Lough Foyle," it said in a statement.

Dublin said both governments agreed to try and resolve the ongoing row over both Lough Foyle and Carlingford Lough during talks in 2011 between the then minister for foreign affairs and the British foreign secretary.

"Since that time a series of meetings have taken place at official level between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade," the statement added.

"The issues involved are complex and involve a range of different actors, including the Crown Estates.

"This is not something we currently envisage as forming part of the negotiations around the UK's departure from the EU."

Sinn Fein Senator Padraig Mac Lochlainn has branded Mr Brokenshire's remarks as "arrogant and provocative".

"The Loughs Agency tasked with responsibility for managing Lough Foyle by both governments has been repeatedly calling for a resolution so that the real tourism and fisheries potential of the Lough can be fully realised," he added.

source: Irish Mirror, Nov 17, 2016

Partnership Africa Canada (PAC) a Canadian camouflage for war against Russian diamonds, African miners, financed by George Soros

A Free Radio Podcast

Gorilla Radio, Victoria, Canada, is dedicated to social justice, the environment, community, and providing a forum for people and issues not covered in the corporate media.

In this extract Chris Cook talks to John Helmer  about how so-called humanitarian initiatives overlap and become indiscernible from corporate and Deep State interests.

 

 

Despite our fabulously photogenic, and famously well-intentioned new prime minister, the taint on Canada’s international image continues to darken. It’s well-known everywhere but within the country, Canadian-flagged mining operations are the bane of human rights and dignity, and environmental justice on all continents.

As insulting to the conscience and intelligence Canada’s pretense of high-minded moral rectitude to anyone possessing a modicum of incredulity is, particularly egregious are the misrepresented efforts of the government in concert with NGO’s in countries across Africa.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the current campaign against “blood diamonds,” where Canada and its closest ally America are using that good fight to demonize further their diamond producing rival, Russia.

John Helmer is a long-time, Moscow-based journalist, author, and essayist; the only one, his site, Dances with Bears informs “to direct his own bureau independent of single national or commercial ties.”  He’s a former political science professor who’s served as an advisor to the governments of Greece, the U.S., and in Asia where he regularly lectures on Russian topics. His book titles include: ‘Uncovering Russia,’ ‘Urbanman: The Psychology of Urban Survival,’ ‘Bringing the War Home: The American Soldier in Vietnam and After,’ and ‘Drugs and Minority Oppression’ among others. 

John’s recent article, ‘Dudley Do-Right, Dudley Mine-Right: Partnership Africa Canada Is Canadian Camouflage for War Against Russian Diamonds, African Miners, Financed by George Soros’ explores how so-called humanitarian initiatives overlap and become indiscernible from corporate and Deep State interests.

Canada The Dudley Do-Right Camouflage