Fishermen pledge to fight higher port charges

THE fishing industry pledged yesterday to strongly resist what were described as exorbitant and unjustifiably increased port charges in the five State-run fishery harbours.

The four-fold increases add to the financial woes of an industry battling to survive against quota restrictions and falling product prices.

“The charges are outrageous and we won’t accept them as a fait accompli,” said Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation chief executive Seán O’Donoghue. Some Donegal boats facing 400% harbour increases could be forced to land their catches in Scotland, he said.

Castletownbere Fishermen’s Co-op manager John Nolan said the harbour increases were ill-timed. “Over the last two years, landing prices fell 35%. Fishermen are angry at the decision and see it as a case of the minister kicking them while they are on the ground.”

Industry leaders are planning a countrywide campaign to resist the increases. Despite the department considering submissions on a draft order, Mr O’Donoghue said the minister imposed the charges without proper consultation.

The increased charges, to be introduced on October 1, will apply to the country’s five main fishing ports, Killybegs, Castletownbere, Rossaveal, Howth and Dunmore East.

They include a hike in costs for boats entering the ports and higher tariffs for landing fish.

Marine Minister Dermot Ahern said, following representation from the industry, he reduced the level of charges, which were due to come into effect in May last. He insisted that charges at the State-run fishery centres had not been increased from 1990.

Minister Ahern said the 2002 draft accounts for the harbours showed an operating deficit of €544,990, while an accumulated deficit stood at €1.2m.

He warned that without a significant increase in income, the deficit was set to rise rapidly.

However, west Cork-based Deputy Jim O’Keeffe said: “The minister has a brass neck to say he reduced the planned increases. He backed off from a planned 600% increase due to outrage in the industry, but the new charges are still ridiculous and do not justify the services being provided at the ports.

“These increases in the fishing industry are just part of the continuing pattern of stealth taxes across the board, ” he said.

Minister Ahern said the revised charges are not designed to contribute to the continuing capital and maintenance investment at the harbours, which totals 30m this year. Insisting that substantial modifications were made to the original proposal, the minister added: “The bottom line however is that the fund must be self financing, without further recourse to the tax-payer.”