GShortly after the trawlers Ocean Crest and Carmona left Ireland’s main fishing port of Kilbeagh in County Donegal, strong winds blew across the North Atlantic, whipping up thick spray from the swell getting up As the storm passed over the northwest coast of Ireland, there were no other boats fishing in the area. It was February and the window to catch migrating mackerel was closing fast, but the two trawlers had not yet reached their quotas.
“This weather is going to limit our fishing opportunities,” said Captain Gerard Sheehy as the nose of the Ocean Crest plunged into the wave pool and a wall of white water crashed over the hull and the wheelhouse windows, blocking visibility shortly before the boat returned to one incoming wave that went over.
Sheehy has a tattoo in the style of Irish fishing wisdom: “Fail We May, Sail We Must.” The mantra seems to ring true now, nine months later, at a time when the Irish fishing industry is in dire straits.
The quotas of fish that are allowed to be caught in Irish waters have been significantly reduced due to the major change in trade regulations that this has caused. Brexitwhich has put Irish fishermen at a disadvantage. Many in the industry now believe they are seeing the beginning of the end of their lives. Not for the first time, they put their last hope on politicians.
While the national housing crisis and immigration policy will be the two most important issues facing Irish voters ahead of Friday’s general election, Fine Gael, Ireland’s largest political party, has addressed the main concerns of the fishing industry for the first time in their election campaign. Manifesto for the parliamentary election. Other Irish political parties, including Fine Gael’s two main rivals, Fianna Fáil And Sinn Feinhave also included proposals from the fishing industry in their election manifestos.
“Politicians are finally waking up to the reality of Irish fishing,” said Brendan Byrne, chief executive of the Irish Fish Processors and Exporters Association.
Although fishing is a small industry in Ireland, it has been the economic backbone of many coastal communities, although it has gradually declined over the years.
As part of the UK’s withdrawal, the E.U moved back 25% of its fishing rights in British waters. This greatly limited the number of fish that Irish boats were allowed to catch – a estimated annual loss of 43 million euros (36 million pounds), making Ireland one of the European countries most affected by Brexit.
About 40 Irish fishing vessels were scrapped last year under the government’s voluntary decommissioning plan introduced after Britain left the EU. This means that the Irish fishing fleet over the past 20 years shaken up from 400 boats to 120, say industry representatives, citing figures from the Irish fishing fleet register.
The final blow to the industry came in September, when the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea is recommended that Ireland’s mackerel quotas will be cut by a further 22% by 2025, a proposed move that some Irish fishermen say will ultimately destroy the country’s pelagic fish processing sector.
Processing plants in Kellbeaga usually operate for up to five months each year but were lucky enough to operate for six weeks in 2024, according to Byrne, who says production is down more than 60%. compared to 2023.
Patrick Murphy, chief executive of the Irish Southern and Western Fish Producers Association, said: “Political parties and politicians are now seeing the numbers and have realized that fishermen are not lying.
-
In Kellbeaga, Ireland’s largest fishing port, fish processing plants are struggling with production in the town down 60% compared to 2023, according to Brendan Byrne
“It will be terrible if the European country with the richest fishing grounds has the poorest fishermen. The politicians will be asked how they allowed this to happen. “
The Fine Gael manifesto supports the appointment of a dedicated Minister of State for Fisheries and a review of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). These were among them A suggestion outlined in a 10-point plan from Ireland’s Seafood Alliance, made up of five different fishing industry groups, who came together this year to unify their message.
Fine Gael MEP Nina Carberry has pledged to look to Brussels for possible solutions to help Ireland’s fisheries return to sustainability. This includes renegotiating the Common Fisheries Policy to ensure a fairer deal for Ireland and a fairer distribution of quotas. “I will continue to put pressure on the new Commission and our British colleagues and I hope that both sides are willing to re-evaluate the terms of the current fisheries chapter,” she said.
Irish Seafood Federation bosses are optimistic about growing political will to tackle major challenges, but some fishermen, including Ocean Crest Captain Sheehy, remain wary of promises made during an election cycle .
“These are still worrying times,” Sheehy said this week before she went back to sea. “Politicians make promises, of course, but we’ve heard it all before.”
2024-11-28 05:53:00
#Weve #heard #promises #road #Irish #fisheries #Austrias #choice
