'This is the death rattle for Irish fishing': dozens of trawlers to be decommissioned in State scheme

'People don't realise the costs that are involved in fishing, or the fact that we have nobody who is really fighting our corner in Europe.' File picture: Andy Gibson

Up to 80 trawlers from the country’s 180-strong offshore fishing fleet could be destroyed if all their owners are accepted onto the Brexit Voluntary Decommissioning Scheme.

According to leading fishing industry representatives, this is the number of ships their owners say they plan to decommission.