€1 from each sale of ‘Ciara’s Catch’ goes to Lost At Sea Tragedies (LAST) which looks after its members and families when they need it most, helping them after a seafaring tragedy

We wanted to let you know about something very important to all of us here at Shines Seafood in Killybegs. The Irish charity Lost At Sea Tragedies (LAST) looks after its members and families when they need it most, helping them both emotionally and financially in the aftermath of a seafaring tragedy.

Tragedies and fatal incidents happened all too often in our fishing communities. While the fishermen and fisherwomen who brave the Atlantic seas bear the risks with equanimity, it is often bereaved neighbours, friends and, of course, families who are left to mourn the price that the sea demands from its harvesters.

LAST has arisen from such a tragedy and its aims are:

• To actively promote safety at sea for our fishing men and women
• To provide support for bereaved communities
• To fundraise on an ongoing basis
• To promote & campaign for the preservation of our fishing heritage
• To provide a structured ready-made vehicle to allow bereaved communities to support their neighbours at their time of need, firstly at the time of the event itself and thereafter in organising fundraising
• To fundraise on an ongoing basis to ensure that sufficient funds are available at the instance of a tragedy, i.e. to be able to provide assistance such as media relations, liaison services, counselling, support to search and rescue staff, etc.

The organization is there to assist in any way it can, and welcome the contributions of all.

Fishing can be a precarious business and success depends on various factors from the weather to fluctuating fish prices to ever tightening quotas.

Worst hit have been the men of the inshore fleet. Many barely scrape a living. Many are in serious debt. Debt and poverty can lead to homelessness, marital breakdown, alcohol abuse and depression. Problems are made worse by the prevalence of injury and ill-health among working fishermen. Chronic ill-health and debt are also serious problems for ex-fishermen and their families. Retired fishermen are more likely than any other occupational group to be living in poverty.

The aim of LAST is to provide a network in all the coastal communities around Ireland offering financial, practical and emotional support, including bereavement counselling to the families of fishermen lost at sea.

This includes providing a wide range of welfare services to active fishermen and their families and obtaining financial assistance and providing debt counselling and other forms of support for the elderly and infirm. It also seeks to combatin loneliness amongst the elderly through a programme of home visits and group activities

For this reason, we at Shines are donating €1 from each sale of our cookbook ‘Ciara’s Catch’ to Lost At Sea Tragedies (LAST).

You can find out more about LAST here.

Thank you.

The Shine Family,

Killybegs

Co Donegal