Burtonport in west Donegal, once one of Ireland's major fishing ports, is now without any registered whitefish trawlers. Earlier this week, the Darnette, having been sold by a local fisherman, set sail for its new home port of Skerries.
At its peak in the 1960s and early 1970s, it was not uncommon to see trawlers moored five or six abreast at the pier. Up to 40 large trawlers (generally regarded as those over 65 ft in length) were registered in Burtonport.
The port was reputedly once the biggest in Europe for wild salmon landings. These have also fallen, and are now about one-tenth of what they were 10 years ago.
A number of part-time fishermen using small boats still operate out of Burtonport, but the main catch is no longer salmon, cod, whiting, plaice, or mackerel.
Crab fishing has taken over as the biggest revenue earner, and is now worth in excess of €3.5 million for the local fishermen's co-operative. According to Bord Iascaigh Mara, over 90 per cent of fish landings at Burtonport in 2000 (the latest figures available) were designated as shellfish, mainly crab.
Fish are still processed in Burtonport, but almost all the supplies are brought in by road from other ports in Donegal and from Scotland. Around 150 people are employed in on-shore fishing- related activities.
The reduction in the whitefish fleet has been gradual. Over-fishing has certainly been a factor. But Burtonport has suffered a lack of investment. Other ports, notably Killybegs and Greencastle, have expanded pier-side facilities and have easier access.
According to Hugh Boyle, chairman of the Burtonport Development Group, the writing has been on the wall for some time. "People are resigned to the fact that white fishing is gone unless the stocks can be built up," he says.
However, he believes the port still has great potential. A feasibility study indicated potential for a marina, an aquarium and marine-related tourism projects. But the port has no sewage treatment plant, and until this is sanctioned any major marine- and tourism-related projects will have to be put on hold.
In the meantime, a significant chapter in the economic history of Burtonport appears to have been closed.