Fishing sector needs to attract more young people to ensure viability

AN AGEING population is threatening the long-term viability of the fishing industry and the communities who rely on it, according to senior figures.

A day after Junior Minister for the Marine John Browne established a new strategy group to look at the future of the industry, the sector’s significant age imbalance has been brought to light.

Art Kavanagh, chairman of AIB’s Marine and Fishing Steering Group, said the failure of the whole industry to offer long-term prospects to young people was undermining the sustainability of coastal communities.

He said: “If you look at Killybegs, where kids have seen that if they stay here over the period of a year they know they are only going to get about six to eight months work so they are going to go to the bigger cities instead ... they don’t want to be on the dole.

“And that is the sad thing because it is the quality of kids that are leaving the area, it is kids that is the problem, they want to work and will move somewhere else in order to get it.”

Yesterday, Mr Browne announced a grant of up to €50,000 to help young people to invest in boats and become skippers.

However, Lorcan Ó Cinnéide, from the Irish Fish Producers Organisation, said this measure was futile unless the entire industry was revamped and could offer a viable future.

He said: “There are no young people entering the industry and why would they ... these grants should all be subsequent in my view to an overall strategy being put in place.

“Old, young, fat or thin, it doesn’t matter, the reason why people are not getting into this is because the industry has been completely neglected ... I don’t see any merit in attracting them into the industry if you cannot offer them a future.”

Mr Kavanagh is optimistic that the energy and innovation of skippers and fishermen will see the industry through, but is worried that fishing towns will struggle to retain their status.

He said: “You can have the whole drum-banging thing and people complaining about quotas but there are just certain things that you can do nothing about.

“I don’t think that the fishing communities get the credit they deserve, all they need now is for people to understand the situation and help any way that they can.”