Coveney secures EU measures to offset Russian ban on fishery imports

At today’s EU Fisheries Council, Ireland’s marine minister Simon Coveney secured the agreement of Council and the Commission to bank 25% of 2014 fishing quotas for 2015, to help mitigate the impact of the Russian ban on importation of fishery products.

The banking option applies to mackerel, horse-mackerel and Celtic Sea herring stocks – the stocks directly impacted by the Russian imports ban. The measure is supported by positive scientific advice that it will not adversely impact stock sustainabiliy.

“I have listened to our industry and the difficulties those fishing Celtic Sea herring, mackerel and horse mackerel are experiencing…The price for herring has dropped significantly for this autumn fishery and I want to give the industry the option of banking part of the quota until prices improve,” he said.

“I made clear at Council today that we must recognise we are dealing with a difficult situation for our fishing industry arising from a geo-political issue. We fully support the sanctions decision taken by the EU but must now provide as much support as possible to our fishing industry,”

Minister Coveney added that the agreement would give the industry time and flexibility “to find alternative markets while preserving Ireland’s quota allocation”.