In the spring of 2008 I embarked on a story documenting the working life of the deep sea fishing community in Union Hall,West Cork. This ancient way of life is now severely threatened by depletion of fishing stocks and also by changing times, as young people are reluctant to enter such a demanding life. The biggest threat of all, however, is the ever encroaching bureaucracy which allows bureaucrats and politicians, with very little knowledge of the lives of fishermen, to dictate how the industry is run down to the smallest detail.