10% rise in whitefish allocation welcomed

Fishermen generally welcomed an overall 10% rise in the quantity of whitefish they will be able to catch next year while newer conservation methods are showing significant success in increasing fish stocks generally.

The Irish fishing industry praised Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney for his efforts over the two-day meeting, while conservationists were not as critical as in the past but still sounded a note of caution over the future of certain sensitive stocks.

Sean O’Donoghue of the Killybegs Fishermens Organisation said the outcome was very positive for the whitefish sector where many proposed cuts were averted.