Fish producers’ drive to change EU policy ‘long overdue’, says Murphy

FISH producers from West Cork are linking up with processing and production organisations nationwide as part of new drive to influence national and EU fishing policy.

Five fish producing and processing seafood organisations are demanding change at national and EU level. Representatives of the five organisations met in Dublin last week.

Irish South & West Fish Producers Organisation chief executive Patrick Murphy, chief executive of the Irish South & West Fish Producers Organisation, said the move to unite efforts and initiatives within the industry ‘is long overdue’.

‘Collectively we have a broad set of shared experiences and capacities. We have been very adversely hit by external factors such as Brexit and the reduction in quotas in recent years,’ he said. ‘Improved, effective engagement with the Minister and the EU at policy level is a starting point in our aligned workplan.’

Murphy ran as an Aontú election candidate for the European parliament for Ireland South but failed to garner sufficient support to challenge for one of the four MEP seats available. Nevertheless, he did gain more than 14,000 first preference votes in the Ireland South constituency.

IS&WPO is one of five CEOs of fishing producing and processing seafood organisations who are linking up.

The organisations say they have ‘committed to work closely together in a more formalised relationship. We aim to enhance our collective effectiveness as sectoral representatives by presenting a united front.’

‘Our objective is to work together on raising awareness of critical challenges impacting the sector at both national and EU level’, they said in a statement. The organisations joining the IS&WPO are the Irish South & East Fish Producers Organisation (IS&EPO), the Irish Fish Producers Organisation (IFPO), the Irish Fish Processors and Exporters Association (IFPEA), and The Killybegs Fisherman’s Organisation (KFO).

Aodh O’Donnell chief executive of the Irish Fish Producers Organisation (IFPO) said the need for improved cooperation among producers is imperative. ‘The situation is changing rapidly. We each have a responsibility to mediate, and to deliver better outcomes on a shared basis for our sector that is at a critical juncture,’ he said. ‘The work plan we agreed prioritises the re-establishing of an effective liaison process with the Marine Minister and his Department officials.’

Brendan Byrne of the IFPEA says having a road map will help the fishing organisations to move forward on ‘the challenges we face in post Brexit and the need to radically reform the Common Fisheries Policy. The support of the Minister and his team will be key to developing a strategic approach.’