They refused Shell's offer and had their boat sank. And Shell deny
everything!

Late last night the 12 metre fishing vessel Iona Isle was sank off
Erris Head. Two men were rescued from a life raft and taken to Castlebar
general hospital.

Mr Pat O’Donnell, owner of the vessel, told that he and his
crewman Martin McDonnell had been held by four armed and masked men who boarded
the boat at 2am.

Mr O’Donnell, who runs a shellfish company in Erris, refused to sign up to
an agreement last year between Shell E&P Ireland and the Erris Fishermen’s
Association over facilitating the laying of the offshore Corrib gas pipeline,
due to his concerns about pollution from the refinery discharge pipe.

Under existing legislation, the developer cannot compel him to remove his
fishing gear.

Shell denies any involvement.

The Irish Times reports, Mr John Monaghan, spokesman for Pobal Chill
Chomáin, said the sinking of the Iona Isle was “part of a chain of
events causing great distress to this community, including the attack on Willie
Corduff while he was protesting at Glengad early on April 23rd.”

Dublin Shell to Sea described the incident as “attempted murder”. Caoimhe
Kerins called on Minister for Energy Eamon Ryan to suspend work on the Corrib
project and conduct an independent inquiry.

Shell also denied any complicity in the 1995 execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa ,
who led a protest movement in Nigeria against Shell's pollution and other
practices in the country and the hangings of six other activists in the country.

Despite their denial, Shell has finally agreed to a $9.6 million settlement
to end a lawsuit over its role in the affair.

The lawsuit in the US District Court in New York claimed Shell colluded with
Nigeria’s former military government to silence environmental and human
rights activists in the country’s Ogoni region.

The oil-rich district sits in the southern part of Nigeria and covers about 400sq miles. Shell started operating there in 1958.

The main complaint against Shell focused on activities by the company’s
subsidiary, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited.

The lawsuit claimed Shell officials give Nigerian police weapons,
participated in security sweeps of the area and hired government troops who
shot at villagers protesting over the construction of a pipeline.

The suit further claimed Shell helped the government capture and hang Mr
Saro-Wiwa, John Kpuinen, Saturday Doobee, Felix Nuate, Daniel Gbokoo and Dr
Barinem Kiobel on November 10th, 1995.

Mr Saro-Wiwa, leader of the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People, led
rallies against Shell who were held responsible for oil spills and gas fires in
the Ogoni region.

At the same time as five miles out at sea, armed and  masked thugs were scuttling
an honest fisherman's vessel and very nearly causing the drowning of the crew,
gardai were busy doing their real duty—arresting eight peaceful demonstrators
protesting at the despoiling of the area that Shell's work are binging in their
train.

·       
Remember, the Irish government is giving away the oil and
gas at sea to Shell for nothing!