Living A simple green Life: SAVE OUR ISLAND, SAVE OUR COMMUNITY

Welcome

Welcome to my wee blog.My name is Andy ( The Dafthermit ) . For the last 20 odd years i have ben trying to get back to a simpler way of life and finally in my old bus up here in the Scottish mountains i am finally getting there. My time now is spent taking pictures of the highlands ,making films to show the world the beauty all around and writing something that has surprised me having had a few of my stories published , Having picked up a camera and laptop in 2008 i have really enjoyeed the journey the camera has taken me on again having had a couple of pictures in national magazines, last year three of ,my films where shown at the Loch Ness film festival. anyway i hope you enjoy your visit to my wee blog

love and light

Andy

Tuesday, 31 May 2011

SAVE OUR ISLAND, SAVE OUR COMMUNITY

I was asked to join this cause and am only to happy to help in any way i can , please take a wee moment to lend your support.

SAVE OUR ISLAND, SAVE OUR COMMUNITY
Sadly on May 23rd a huge storm struck the North West coast of Ireland with winds if 100 m/ph and 40 foot waves. The result of this storm was catastrophic. The fishermen of Arranmore Island who had their pots set were unable to retrieve them before the storm.
Today, Tuesday 24th May the fishermen surveyed the damage and as a result they have been WIPED OUT and no longer have pots. Thankfully their boats and men survived.
In 2006, Irish government, following a directive from EU totally banned the salmon fishing in Ireland. The government of the day made a package of €25million available to the salmon fishermen as compensation. However one of the clauses in the buyout was that if accepted no fisherman or family member could ever apply to own a commercial license. The fishermen of Arranmore Island refused the package on the principle that it did not belong to them to sell.
On top if that in 2008 the inshore fishermen of Donegal were banned from fishing all types of gillnets which in effect banned them from fishing another 48 species of commercial fish. By doing this they were effectively forced to fish only for lobster and crab. The fishermen of the island have argued the case that these fisheries were not sustainable despite all their conservation methods. They took their argument to
Dáil Eireann, to Brussels, to Ministers, MEPs and to anyone that listened. Sadly no one did. Despite many many promises we were left to fight their own fight.
The fishermen will now seek compensation or the opportunity to fish stocks that they we were banned from. For generations Islanders have been allowed to harvest the sea, the government took away that right from them ...NOW they want it back.
Please support the Arranmore Island fisherman by joining this cause.
Many thanks, Jerry Early (spokesperson of Arranmore Island fishermen).

visit the cause click here

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A wee film about us on STVs the HOUR SHOW click on STV logo to see the film

Andy the Daft Hermit lives 45 minutes outside Inverness with his wife Mel in an old bus parked in a layby. This current home of theirs is the longest they have ever stayed in one spot. “I’ve been travelling now 25 years,” said Andy Lowe. “Mel’s been travelling 15. One of the reasons we’ve come and stayed up here is because of Mel’s health. I wanted to bring her to the mountains for fresh air and clean water and just a slower pace of life.” Mel has had breast cancer twice, skin cancer once, and for three years believed she had bone cancer after being wrongly diagnosed. Andy’s belief in the restorative powers of the north made them pack up ‘The Black Bus’ that they live in and cross the border into Scotland. New Highland home for hermit couple Andy and Mel “I think we both believe in trying to get to a more simple way of life,” said Andy, “but it’s strange for us because we are sort of hermits, or we like to live separate, but it’s not being anti-social… it’s just the way we are that allows us to be creative.” Andy first began travelling when he left the army. Fed up with bureaucracy he packed a rucksack and left for France and has been travelling ever since. By investing any money the couple have earned into solar panels and wind generators they now live a self-sustaining existence, without electric bills, and collect rain water “straight from Heaven”. “It’s not easy,” said Mel. “There might be time when there might not be enough facilities around, but you always find a way, you know?” Rather than rejecting technology, Andy blogs about his travels online and collaborates with artists from around the world via his ‘Scratchy Heid Film Studio’, which he runs from a static trailer next to the couple’s bus. He explained his philosophy: “My belief is that if you can go through life and you drop dead and you’ve got a balance there that slightly outweighs the good than the bad, you’ve done alright. “Yesterday, with what Mel’s been through with the cancer and all that, I had a woman on one of my sites there that thanked me for the writing, for the positive things, and to me that’s worth everything. You can keep your millions, we’re not interested. That is what we do.” To check out Andy’s artwork and video projects check out his website. MORE FROM THE NORTH