Number of fishing boats to be scrapped doubles since February

Fishing trawlers at Castletownbere harbour. It is believed that some 19 boat owners from the West Cork village had originally applied to the scheme.

The number of fishing boat owners applying for decommissioning has more than doubled since last month.

According to Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), which is administering the Department of Agriculture’s €75m Voluntary Decommissioning Scheme, 42 fishing boats are to be scrapped — up from a figure of 20 issued in February.