Port investment ‘protecting fishing jobs’

FISHERMEN’S livelihoods are being put ahead of hard commercial realities and investment in our ports is geared more towards protecting “unsustainable” fishing jobs than developing our commercial shipping industry, a port boss claims.

Almost all government investment along our coastline is helping vessels and crews in the fisheries sector, one which is generally recognised as being unsustainable at the sort of level we have traditionally seen in this country, Port of Waterford Chairman, Ben Gavin, says.

As the Irish Ports Association national conference gets underway in Waterford today, Mr Gavin says responsibility for the nation’s ports should be transferred from the Department of the Marine to the Department of Transport in recognition of the significant economic contribution they make.