The Fisheries Council deal struck in the early hours is seen as a catastrophic blow to Irish fishing – immediately branded a ‘a betrayal of Ireland’s fishing industry’.
The Seafood Ireland Alliance (SIA) states Member States and European Commission have reneged on commitments embedded in the Common Fisheries Policy designed to protect our island’s reliance on fishing, while Aodh O’Donnell of the Irish Fish Producers Organisation (IFPO) commented that this failure delivers a €94 million hit to the Irish fishing sector and threatens the survival of vessels and businesses.
‘The consequences will be catastrophic,’ he said. ‘The EU has failed Ireland’s fishing industry repeatedly. This latest failure means utter devastation and effectively the CFP as a policy has failed. It’s symptomatic of a fundamentally unfair system where large Member States and big business can dictate what happens to the Irish fishing industry.’
The bottom line is that Ireland will have 57,000 tonnes less quota to fish in 2026. Over 2,300 jobs in coastal communities face immediate danger, and the wider economic impacts could reach €200 million next year.
‘Despite the best efforts of Minister Dooley and the Government, the Member States failed to honour the protection mechanism created to support Ireland and failed on the very foundation the European Union was built on,’ Aodh O’Donnell said, commenting that for the first time, Member States blocked implementation of the Hague Preference, designed to protect nations highly dependent on fisheries.
‘If this protection cannot be honoured, why should Ireland continue to offer generous access to our rich fishing waters? The refusal raises serious questions about future cooperation with other European fishing industries,’ he said.
Patrick Murphy of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation (IS&WFPO) said that Ireland is paying for others’ reckless behaviour.
‘We are being punished unfairly,’ he stated. ‘Non-EU states ignored science and inflated their catches. They created this crisis. Ireland fished responsibly, yet we now carry what are proportionately the heaviest losses.’
The repercussions are set to extend throughout the seafood industry, and Brendan Byrne of the Irish Fish Processors and Exporters (IFPEA) said that processors now face a huge threat.
‘They cannot survive without supply. Less quota means less fish and less work. Mant plants may not survive this blow without raw material,’ he said.
The Seafood Ireland Alliance’s position is that Ireland cannot accept this outcome, while acknowledging the extensive efforts of Minister Dooley to fight for our industry. The Alliance says the EU and Government must also act to support the fishing fleet or there will be job losses on a catastrophic scale.
‘Once again as in Brexit, Ireland has been left carrying a burden created by others,’ Aodh O’Donnell said.
‘This is unjust and shows the European Union in a very bad light in its failure to protect the interests of small Member States.’
