Skipper may sell up as whitefish sector ‘on brink’

A well-known skipper with an interest in four trawlers says he is contemplating selling out as industry leaders warn that the whitefish sector is on the brink of closure.

Trawler owner Ebbie Sheehan said scores of quota-hit vessel owners cannot continue to survive on a share-out of a “handful of boxes”.

The Castletownbere man insisted: “We don’t have enough quota. End of story.”

Mr Sheehan, who heads the Irish Fishermen’s Organisation (IFO), with its headquarters in Waterford, said: “There is little left of this year’s quota. Fishermen are sharing out, on a monthly basis, just a few boxes of some species, just to keep the fisheries open and continue to pretend we are a viable industry.”

Along with family members and a partner, Mr Sheehan is involved with four vessels that employ 23 people.

“We are close to selling one with an offer on a second,” he said. “We wouldn’t mind driving on and investing more money if we thought the industry would survive. But there’s no political will to assist the industry and there’s never been much goodwill from any government to invest in an industry that still has the potential to create jobs.”

Meanwhile, Eibhlin O’Sullivan, chief executive of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation, said frustration and fear remained hallmarks of the industry in the wake of scientific advice on whitefish and herring stocks for next year.

“We are extremely concerned for the viability of the industry if the commission and member states choose to act on some of the advice provided by the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas over a number of key stocks in the Celtic Sea such as cod, haddock, whiting, monk and megrim.

“The commission requested International Council for the Exploration of the Seas provide advice on the basis of reaching maximum sustainable yield by 2015, and this is one of the main reasons for some of the huge reductions proposed for 2014,” she said.

“There are fundamental differences between the fishing industry’s perception of certain stocks and what the scientific advice is saying.

“Trawlermen are reporting an abundance of cod, haddock and monk, but there are significant reductions proposed for these stocks — 30% reduction in Celtic Sea cod quota, 75% reduction haddock and a 20% reduction for monk.”

Ms O’Sullivan added: “Fishermen are suffering severe economic hardship this year due to the limited availability of quota. If the proposed reductions for 2014 are implemented, we will undoubtedly, and unfortunately, see Irish fishermen leaving the industry.

“When there are dramatic reductions in quotas, such as those proposed, fishermen receive no compensation unlike farmers. No business, whether fishing or otherwise, can survive when there is a continual reduction in their income.

“It is particularly ironic this comes in the wake of BIM’s recently announced five-year strategy to increase seafood sales. If the current situation continues this strategy will only benefit those exporting seafood to Ireland.”

Meanwhile, Mr Sheehan said while changes are imminent in the discarding of fish, the industry in the south and south-west could easily be discarding up to 100 tonnes of monk every month because of quota restrictions.

“The Irish have a quota of about 2,300 tonnes of monk while the French have about ten times that quota. Two French boats alone are landing in Castletownbere and between them, they have, on a monthly basis, what would be the entire quota for all Irish boats.

“It’s no wonder the whitefish industry feels it is being squeezed out of business,” he added.