Plans to scrap a third of fleet

THE Government plans to decommission a third of the whitefish fleet sector in Ireland, at a cost of about €66 million, according to an application lodged with the European Commission.

This is part of the overall plan to reduce the number of fishermen and boats by 45%, as proposed in the Cawley report, in an effort to reduce illegal fishing and ensure the remaining fishermen make a living.

The Commission is expected to approve the plan next month, which will see state money being paid out to decommission 11,000 gross tonnes worth of Irish fishing vessels.

The whitefish fleet includes cod, haddock, whiting and plaice fish stocks located in the Celtic sea (south west) and in the seas off the west and north west coasts of Ireland.

According to Fianna Fáil MEP Brian Crowley about 120 fishermen will benefit from the state fund, that can be matched with funds from the EU.

He helped arrange for Irish fishing organisations to have preliminary discussions with the EU Marine Commissioner Joe Borg. “The commissioner is fully aware of the intrinsic importance of this scheme for the future viability of the fishing industry in Ireland,” said Mr Crowley.

Another member of the parliament’s fisheries committee, Seán Ó Neachtain MEP, said the application has the full support of Irish fishermen.

“If the European Commission approves this application, then the fishing fleet in Ireland will match the available fish stocks, and this will ensure that there will be a sustainable and profitable Irish fish industry into the future,” he said.

In 2005, 36 vessels were decommissioned under a scheme launched in 1995. Under revised regulations agreed in Brussels last year, member states can offer incentives to fishermen to decommission including pensions and help to set up alternative employment in their communities.

A statement from the Department of the Marine said Ireland has been allocated €42m to 2013 from the EU, while the State has committed €180m under the National Development Plan. An additional €118m may also be available over the life of the NDP, depending on the needs of the sector.

The department said they expect new opportunities for employment will arise across many areas — aquaculture development, processing, restructuring and development and market-led innovation. A bottom-up initiative for coastal communities similar to the successful LEADER initiative is planned.