Mixed bag reaction to Fisheries Council outcome
The outcome of the December Fisheries Council meeting which sets the fishing opportunities in EU waters for 2014, will increase regulatory discards and cause significant job losses, according to the Federation of Irish Fishermen.
Chair of the FIF, Francis O'Donnell, predicts employment will drop by 350 from the haddock and prawn fisheries due to quota cuts of 33% and 9% respectfully.
He said he "totally disagreed" with the 9% cut in quota for prawns, Ireland's second most valuable fishery, given the 2013 fishery was the same as previous years. "There is no justification for this reduction that will cost the Irish economy €15m."
Quota cuts will impact Dunmore East and other whitefish strongholds around the Irish coast. Photo Gillian Mills
While the Commission's proposal was for a 75% reduction in the haddock quota "we are extremely annoyed and disappointed" with the agreed 33% reduction" which in effect is a charter for discards and is contrary to what the Council and Parliament agreed in June in the revised Common Fisheries Policy."
‘Exceptionally tough’ negotiations begin on 2014 fishing opportunities
As negotiations get underway at the EU fisheries Council in Brussels, Ireland's marine minister has warned that some of the proposals would impact the whitefish sector with "severe cuts" in many stocks of vital importance to Ireland.
And he added that this year's negotiations will also be "heavily impacted" by the lack of progress on talks between the EU & Norway, and between the EU, Norway, Faroes and Iceland.
Whitefish ports such as Union Hall, Co Cork, would be severely impacted if proposed cuts in whitefish opportunities for 2014 are implemented
"This lack of progress means that the Council will only be able to discuss provisional quotas for mackerel, blue whiting and Atlanto Scandic Herring for 2014".
According to BIM, the total financial impact of proposed cuts would amount to over €70m.
Fishermen “face ruin” if Commission proposals are implemented
With the start of the fish discard ban fast approaching (2015 for pelagics and 2016 for demersal stocks), the Federation of Irish Fishermen (FIF) has warned that discarding will increase to an “unprecedented level, particularly in the mixed demersal fishery” if proposed cut backs in fish opportunities for 2014 are implemented.
“Even if the reductions are ameliorated to some extent at the Fisheries Council in December, Ireland will still need to implement a major whitefish fleet restructuring scheme without delay,” warned FIF chair, Francis O’Donnell.“These proposed cuts….run totally contrary to the new CFP,” he said.
“There is a considerable abundance of mature stock [of] various species which cannot be avoided using selective gear types at present. Those stocks will be lost to the Irish economy and the ecosystem as a whole.”
Ireland hosts week-long mackerel talks
Negotiations have begun on mackerel quotas for the North East Atlantic between the EU, Norway, Iceland and the Faeroe Islands. The Russian Federation and Greenland are participating as observers.
"Mackerel is the single most important stock for the Irish fleet and the value of the international fishery is estimated at €1bn annually to the parties," remarked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney.
MFV Neptune in a big swell. Photo John Cunningham
He added that agreement needed to be secured on management arrangements that would be "fair and balanced". From an Irish perspective, Minister Coveney said he had never accepted the "irresponsible behaviour of Iceland and the Faeroe Islands who have engaged in unacceptable, unilateral fishing of the shared mackerel stock" in recent years.
Fishing industry set to lose €70m in 2014 says representative
Marine minister Simon Coveney has met with fishing industry and environmental groups to discuss Commission proposals on fishing opportunities for 2014 in advance of the annual negotiations in December.
Eibhlin O’Sullivan, CEO of the Irish South & West Fish Producers Organisation Ltd (IS&WFPO Ltd) however believes that if the proposals for whitefish stocks are implemented, they will severely impact fishermen and the overall Irish economy:
Whitefish ports such as Castletownbere, Co Cork will be severely impacted if proposed cuts are implemented in 2014. Photo N Duffy
“We calculate the proposed cuts are in the region of €22m. This is in fact a conservative estimate based on the average prices for the various species this year and also [because] the Commission has yet to issue its proposals for some stocks. There may in fact be further reductions,” explained Ms O’Sullivan.
“We are therefore calling on Minister Coveney and his fellow European Ministers to adopt a conservative approach to the TAC and Quota Regulations to ensure the survival of very valuable Irish species - our fishermen,” she said.
Establishment of implementation group begins process of fish discard ban
The minister for Agriculture, Food & the Marine, Simon Coveney has appointed Dr Noel Cawley to chair a national Discards Implementation Group. A new policy that ends the wasteful practice of discarding fish at sea is a key part of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy which was successfully negotiated to conclusion under the Irish presidency earlier this year.
The practice of 'slipping at sea'. The net is never taken from the water - it is simply opened to release the fisih, teh majority of which are already dead. These fish are not accounted for and teh extent of the damage is not known.
“I am delighted that Dr Cawley, with his deep knowledge of the Irish fishing industry, has agreed to chair [this group], which will ensure that the Irish fishing industry are fully prepared for, and engaged in, the implementation of the discards ban,” remarked Minister Coveney.
Bad weather in the Celtic Sea herring fishery is a major obstacle for small vessels
The 2013 herring fishery in the Celtic sea has been hampered by bad prices and bad weather. Some smaller vessels entered this ring-fenced fishery while the fishery was two weeks under way for fish quality purposes.
Westbound passes Arranmore Island. Photo Pauric Gallagher
This year the management arrangements dictate that vessels have to land their quota on a weekly basis in any five weeks out of the first-eight week period. This all seems fine but some of the smaller vessels struggled in very poor weather conditions, leaving the aggregations of herring dispersed. As part of the management arrangements, vessels are required to land 50% of their allocated quota in the first period to be eligible for a reallocation in the second period.
Fishermen fear being ‘sold out’ by EU Commission
On the eve of the Fisheries Council, the Federation of Irish Fishermen has issued a statement urging Ireland's fisheries minister Simon Coveney to safeguard the Irish fishing industry.
Welcoming the latest scientific advice on North East Mackerel Stocks, which recommends an increase of 64% in 2014 TAC, the FIF is concerned the Commission will see this as an opportunity to end the long-running dispute with Iceland and the Faroe Islands over mackerel quota.
MFV Neptune. Photo John Cunningham
" A knee-jerk response by the Commission would have a catastrophic impact on the Europoean fishing industry, and in particular Ireland in the long-term," warned the FIF chair, Francis O'Donnell.
"The large increase....should be good news but it is actually only 14,000 tonnes greater than the expected catches of 334,000 tonnes for 2013 declared by Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland," he added.
Large increase expected in 2014 mackerel TAC
The latest scientific advice from ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) issued October 4 recommends a large increase (67%) in the mackerel TAC for next year.
This advice is finally beginning to reflect what the fishermen have been seeing on the fishing grounds for the last five years, according to the Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation.
MFV Vigilant steaming into a westerly gale. Photo John Cunningham
he KFO is concerned however that the Commission will see this as an “opportunity” to do a deal with Iceland and Faros at the expense of Irish fishermen.
It is concerned that the Commission will offer “a large unjustified share” in an effort to resolve the longstanding dispute and by doing so will ignore the facts that both Iceland and Faros “have acted in reckless and irresponsible manner…” in increasing their combined catches by almost 10 fold.