Fishermen call for compensation hike

THE €9 million allocated by the Government to reduce the number of fishing boats because of a shortage of whitefish will have to be trebled, the Irish Fish Producers Organisation (IFPO) warned yesterday.

Under the scheme just announced by Junior Marine Minister Pat “The Cope” Gallagher, fishermen will be given compensation for taking their boats out of commission.

This scheme is needed because whitefish quotas have been steadily decreasing and the huge increase in imports into the EU are combining to make the business unviable for many members, IFPO chief executive Lorcáin Ó Cinnéide said.

“While we welcome the new scheme, the €9m being offered by the minister is not sufficient because this would only take out 10 or 12 boats - not nearly enough to take out the fish capacity that is needed,” Mr Ó Cinnéide added.

There are currently 400 whitefish vessels operating off the coast of Ireland and an economic study will be conducted to determine how many of these need to be decommissioned to ensure the industry remains viable.

“I know the capacity that is currently there and if we want to reduce it to an economically viable level then at least €20-€30m will have to be allocated to the scheme,” Mr Ó Cinnéide said. The IFPO will negotiate the details of the package with Mr Gallagher over the coming weeks, but they are determined that the allocated budget must be increased if the plan is to work.

“We want our members to be able to get out with a bit of money and a bit of dignity,” Mr Ó Cinnéide added.

The IFPO will also be seeking a clause that would allow a quarter of the capacity that will be decommissioned to be set aside so that it could be taken up by their members again if the whitefish stocks improve in the future.

Mr Gallagher could not be reached for comment yesterday, but his spokesman said he could not comment further on the scheme until the full details are announced in a few weeks.

But in launching the scheme, the minister said the money will be provided under the National Development Plan to remove this excess whitefish capacity.

“A key priority of the Government’s commitment to developing an economically vibrant and sustainable fisheries sector, is to deliver the necessary restructuring, renewal and modernisation in the whitefish fleet,” Mr Gallagher said.

The latest addition to the national fishing fleet, due for delivery in June, marks the completion of two fleet renewal programmes that have seen the introduction of 62 new and 17 modern second-hand vessels, the minister said, adding that over €119m has been invested in the past six years.