‘Reduction in fishing capacity is the only option’

AN ORGANISATION representing more than 100 trawler owners said the decommissioning project was necessary to resolve the imbalance between shortages of fishing quotas and excess fishing vessels.

Gerard O’Flynn, chief executive officer of the Irish South & West Fish Producers’ Organisation, said this imbalance had led to too many operations being economically unviable and several were faced with ruin.

“In the absence of any significant change in allocation of quotas, then reduction in fishing capacity is the only other option,” he said.

His organisation, which represents fishermen from Wexford to Galway, said it is imperative the EU, which controls quotas, doesn’t cut them just because the number of Irish fishing vessels is to be reduced by 40%.

“A new quota management system is a critical requirement, because the system as currently structured confers huge disadvantages on the Irish fleet in comparison with other European fleets, the majority of which are operating in the same Irish waters as the Irish Fleet,” he said.

Mr O’Flynn said it is absolutely essential that any further reduction in quotas are avoided, as such cuts would completely undermine the core aim of the decommissioning initiative.