CUTS planned to mackerel quotas will destroy an already devastated Irish fishing industry as badly as Brexit, the chief executive of the Irish South and West Fish Producers’ Organisation, as he accused Norwegian and Faroese fishermen of recklessly overfishing stocks, putting all stakeholders at risk.
The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, known as Ices, gives its guidance on fish stocks every year, based on scientific evaluations, which the European Union and other nations then decide quotas on.
Ices has proposed a 22% cut in mackerel quotas for 2025 as spawning stocks fall again.
ISWFPO chief executive Patrick Murphy accused Norway, the Faroes, and Iceland of ‘reckless overfishing’. He claims the UK facilitated overfishing by allowing these countries to overfish the stock in their waters.
‘If this stock is destroyed, everyone loses. There’s no reset button,’ said Mr Murphy.
He said Europe had previously taken a hit on quotas for the sake of the stock. ‘Now we found one fifth of the stock is gone. They keep on draining the well. If you keep on this trajectory. We won’t have a fishing industry in Ireland. This will be the end of the Irish fishing industry.’
Brendan Byrne, chief executive of the Irish Fish Processors and Exporters Association said the Ices advice on mackerel is ‘the equivalent to another Brexit cut for Ireland when we lost 26% of the value of our Mackerel quota, Ireland now faces the prospect of a further 22% cut, while other coastal states fish well above their scientific advice shares.
‘Let’s call it for what it is; if this goes through it will lead to destruction of the pelagic processing sector in Ireland.’
Both Murphy and Byrne were in Brussels this week as they urged EU Commission to correct the disproportionate hit Ireland suffered in Brexit. Ireland carries 40% of the overall cost of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement Brexit deal.
Ireland’s mackerel quota for 2025 is likely to be just 40,000 tonnes.
Mr Murphy called on Irish MEPs to press the issue at the European Commission level. He also called on Minister Charlie McConalogue to invoke article 13.80 of the Common Fisheries Policy to ‘adjust the capacity of the fleet with its opportunities’ to ensure Irish fishermen get a fairer quota.
