The Drifters

An observational documentary on the last of the Salmon Driftnet fishermen, men in their 70s eking out a living on the shores of Lough Foyle. The film followed the men and their families for the six weeks of the final season. Bernadine spent six weeks on the 19 foot Foyle Punts filming. BBC NI

Shot in the Summer of 2006, 'The Drifters' follows fisherman Paddy McDonald, at 76, he is one of the oldest and one of the last drift net fishermen in all of Europe. His family live along the shores of Lough Foyle, one of the richest salmon estuaries in Europe, and for generations his family have relied on drift-netting as a vital part of their income. However, Paddy's drift-netting days appear to be numbered as drift-netting might soon be banned following the intense lobbying by powerful angling and tourism interests.

Lough Foyle is one of the last places in Europe to allow driftnetting. No new licenses are being issued. So these men must hold onto their precious permits to preserve their way of life.

Directed by Bernadine Carraher and produced by Mind the Gap Films, the filmmakers spent the brief six week season with the McDonald and McNally families, rising at four every morning to catch the first tide of the day.

'The Drifters' charts the 2006 season and let's the fishermen give their on the declining salmon stocks and what the ban will mean for themselves and their families.

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