McConalogue to tour ports to address struggling fishing industry's concerns

Charlie McConalogue TD, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine will tour Ireland’s fishing ports to address the concerns within the fishing  industry.
Picture: JULIEN BEHAL PHOTOGRAPHY. 

Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue is to go on a tour of Ireland’s fishing ports to address the concerns of an industry in crisis.

It will start in two weeks and will follow on from the virtual meeting he and Taoiseach Micheál Martin had with fishers yesterday.

The tour is intended as a signal of the Government's willingness to deal more directly with fishers and fishing communities.

The industry has been crippled by a variety of factors, including Brexit, and ever-changing EU rules and regulations.

Brexit, for example, is costing individual fishermen and women between €5,000 and €20,000 in lost income.

And while Great Britain can fish for 75% of fish in its own waters, Ireland is only allowed by the EU to fish for 15% of what is available in Irish waters.

It is estimated there could be 4,000 or more job losses in both the catching sector at sea and the processing sector onshore as a result.

Many fishers feel the future of a €1bn-a-year industry that employs 16,000 people is not only in doubt, but that the industry is actually dying.

Fishing vessels tied up at anchor in Castletownbere Port in County Cork.   Picture: Don MacMonagle

Last week, it emerged Ireland’s fishing fleet is likely to be slashed, according to an interim government report on the impact of Brexit on the fishing industry.

The cuts will, the government hopes, ensure those left in the industry can survive on a “sustainable” footing.

Measures being discussed include a temporary voluntary cessation scheme for fishers and cutting the number of vessels in the fleet.

Last Saturday, Mr Martin met fishers representatives face-to-face in Castletownbere, and later promised to get Irish fishermen and women a better deal in Europe.

He promised he would “do right by the Irish fishing industry” and get Europe to let the Irish catch more of their own fish.

The Irish Examiner understands Mr McConalogue will visit the State's designated ports including Dunmore East and Castletownbere, on a tour of the country over the next two months.

During these visits, the minister will meet with fishers, fishers' representatives, and people living and working in the coastal communities.

He told the Irish Examiner: “Due to Covid-19 restrictions, I was unable to visit our ports and harbours and instead hosted Virtual Town Halls spanning our coastal counties.

“This was important and useful but, as restrictions now allow, I am looking forward to meeting our fishers and coastal communities in person.”

Fishers are so frustrated at the way they feel they have been treated that around 70 vessels formed a protest flotilla that sailed into the Port of Cork last month.

A larger protest flotilla is heading to Dublin Port on Wednesday.