‘Reasonable result’ for Ireland’s fishing industry 2020

The Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation (KFO) has described the agreement reached for Ireland’s fishing industry on 2020 opportunities as “a reasonable overall result” for certain key stocks.

The December fisheries council at which total allowable catches (TACs) and quotas are set for the following year, is likely to end in its current format with the “almost certain” withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU.

Chief executive Séan O’Donoghue described the meeting as the “metaphorical calm before a potentially devastating storm” ahead of talks on a future relationship:

“The long-term future of the industry is very much in the balance as the negotiating teams assess and mold Britain’s exit plan from the EU.”

While a ‘no-deal’ Brexit is now less likely, should it happen the situation would be “uncontrollable with almost 3,000 kilometres of a ‘water border’ to be policed.

“Ultimately it would be the death knell for many coastal fishing communities with the demise of the Irish seafood sector to the tune of between 30% and 50%” and projected job losses of between 30% and 40%,” he warned.

Crucial access
Ireland relies heavily on UK waters for mackerel (60%) and nephrops (40%) and could be denied access if a deal is not reached:

“It’s very hard to get one’s head around the fact that waters, to which we have enjoyed access, could be out of bounds on January 1, 2021, with no physical wall nor barrier in place.”

O’Donoghue said it was “imperative” to protect Ireland’s seafood sector which in 2018 was valued at €1.25bn and employed more than 14,300 people predominantly in rural, coastal locations.

The Commission’s Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier and Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan “will play key roles along with our government to negotiate the retention of the close linkage between fisheries and the wider trade relationship”.

This must be achieved to maintain existing access to fishing waters and existing resource allocations, he warned.

Legal deadline
BirdWatch Ireland however says EU leaders and the negotiators have ‘failed abysmally’ to meet the legal deadline to end overfishing:

‘Both the Irish government and the European Parliament have declared a climate and environmental emergency. This is just another example that EU leaders neither comprehend the scale of the existential crisis we face nor have any intention of doing anything about it.’

TACs & quotas
Ireland secured 195,000 tonnnes worth €275m to the fishing industry following two days of intensive talks. Increases were agreed for mackerel (+41%), haddock (+30%), monkfish (+7%) and megrims (+3%) in the Celtic Sea.

The industry’s second most important fishery nephrops (prawns) however is reduced by 15% in accordance with scientific advice due to the decline in stock density in some of the nursery beds. Safeguards will also be put in place for cod and whiting in the Celtic Sea to rebuild depleted stocks.

Following two-days of intensive talks, Michael Creed, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, said securing agreement on rebuilding measures in the Celtic Sea “was one of the most difficult aspects of these negotiations”.

Protection measures trialed by BIM and the Marine Institute working with fishermen however will enable vessels to continue fishing “in a sustainable way” he said.

“By taking these necessary steps now, we can rebuild the stocks in our Celtic Sea fisheries and avoid the need for closures.”

End to overfishing

This year marked the deadline set under the Common Fisheries Policy to end overfishing by setting TACs in accordance with scientific advice.

“This means that for most stocks, where sufficient advice is available, quotas have been set at levels that ensure long-term sustainability in line with the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) principle.”

The December Council agreed quotas for 47 stocks of particular interest to Ireland; 32 target stocks were set at or below the advice “where available” meeting MSY criteria.

Four vulnerable stocks where the advice was for no fishing will have restrictive quotas in place for 2020.

“This allows for unavoidable by-catches in circumstances where they are part of mixed fisheries,” Minister Creed explained.

The Council also agreed very small quotas for data collection on three depleted herring stocks. Precautionary quotas were also set for a further eight stocks in minor by-catch fisheries.