Ireland’s fishing industry to fight for a ‘fairer future’

Over 60 vessel owners, processors and marine service providers have unanimously agreed to form an organisation to represent the entire fishing industry, representing small inshore punts to larger trawlers; skippers in the wheelhouse to the crew on the deck and large factories to the local fish shop.

The majority of the local fleet at Howth, Co Dublin, work on the Irish Sea prawn fishery. Photo Gillian Mills

Described at the meeting as a fight for a viable future of Ireland’s fishing industry, fishermen from Greencastle to Dunmore East; Castletownbere to Clogherhead and Union Hall to Kilmore Quay were asked for their views on the many challenges facing the industry.

Key among these was the lack of fishing quota in Irish waters, combined with new EU regulations that ban the discarding of over quota catches ‘will strangle an already decimated industry’, a statement reads.

A steering committee was selected to arrange a first AGM to be held in the coming weeks when it is expected a committee will be formed to represent all sectors (demersal, inshore, potting, gill netting, pelagic, prawn, seining and shore-based stakeholders.

Over 23% of the EU’s fishing grounds are in Irish waters but Ireland’s fishing vessels represent just 2.5% of the EU fleet.  Non Irish vessels harvest approximately €1.2bn tonnes of fish from these waters.