Charges ‘would cripple fishing industry’

SOME of the country’s best known fishing ports could face extinction if new landing charges are introduced, fishing groups warned yesterday.

Fishermen say a whole way of life for thousands of people could be affected if the Minister for the Marine, Dermot Ahern, doesn’t drop what they term “draconian” landing charges.

From tomorrow, the cost of off-loading fish in ports like Castletownbere, Howth, Dunmore East, Rossaveal and Killybegs will rise from 2.40 per tonne to 12.4. Fishing groups have warned such a hike in charges will make small ports less competitive.

“There has been a total lack of consultation on these proposed charges, all of which have already been rejected outright by representatives of the five harbours involved and the fishing organisations,” Michael Orpen, chairman of the Castletownbere Harbour Users Committee, said.

He said fishermen using Castletownbere could now find themselves off-loading fish at the Port of Cork.

“This is a totally unfair and unacceptable attack on fishermen, the primary producers of an industry which the Minister and the Department are supposed to be assisting and encouraging.

“In addition to the imposition on harbour users there are new charges for anyone who even wants to park on the pier in Castletownbere, for the ferries from Bere Island, tourist boats and small inshore boats,” Mr Orpen said.

“At a very minimum we expect this order to be set aside and that proper consultation take place which will lead to positive and agreed development of both the harbours and the fishing industries, and not this kind of additional taxation of people who undertake one of the country’s most dangerous occupations,” he said.

Close to 4,000 people living on the Beara Peninsula are affected by anything which happens in the fishing industry, according to Mr Orpen.

“Now, as if things weren’t bad enough with the negative approach of the EU Commission, stock and quota restrictions, rising costs of insurance, and falling prices, the Department is seeking to impose both increased and new charges.

“These are costs which are not recoverable in terms of the prices we obtain.” The proposals would cripple the industry, he said.