Ireland’s Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue has announced a €25.6 million support package for the Irish pelagic fisheries sector.
Funded under the Brexit Adjustment Reserve Fund, the Pelagic Fisheries Support Scheme is designed to compensate owners of RSW pelagic vessels and polyvalent Tier 1 and Tier 2 vessels that have suffered losses of mackerel quota over the period 2021-2023 as a result of the quota transfers to the EU under Brexit.
The support is to stabilise cashflow and assist vessel owners to re-structure their operations in light of the loss of earnings associated with the reduction of available quota under the TCA. This short-term aid is seen as essential support to allow the 23 RSW vessels and the 27 polyvalent Tier 1 and Tier 2 vessels sufficient time to put in place longer-term restructuring measures.
‘This €25.6 million support for the RSW pelagic fleet segment recognises the impact of quota transfers to the UK from the EU under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), and in particular that this segment of the Irish fleet has suffered the largest TCA related quota reductions for the main target species of mackerel,’ Minister McConalogue said.
The Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation has welcomed the announcement of a fund established to compensate fishermen from the grim consequences which Brexit has had on their businesses.
‘We welcome today’s announcement – the €25.6 million support package will help alleviate some, but certainly not all, of the financial hit inflicted on Refrigerated Sea Water (RSW) Tier 1 and Tier 2 vessels since Brexit,’ commented KFO CEO Seán O’Donoghue.
‘That said, we’re far from through with Brexit. This is but another step on a long, arduous road and we in the KFO, will be continuing to fight for equity in levelling out the impact of the financial ramifications of the fish lost to Britain through ‘burden sharing’ with our European colleagues. In the words of the Department, this allows vessels ‘sufficient time to put in place longer-term restructuring measures’. It’s going to be a long battle but one to which we are fully committed. We won’t be found wanting when it comes to our members’ interests and livelihoods. This a fundamental question of fairness.’
Seán O’Donoghue predicts that Ireland’s mackerel sector will shed more than 1200 jobs by 2030 because of Brexit, and that from 2021 to the end of 2023, pelagic fishermen will have had more than 37,000 tonnes of their mackerel quota stripped away as a direct result of Brexit, resulting in a commercial loss of more than €52 million.
Minister Charlie McConalogue stated that he is instructing BIM to administer this scheme without delay.
‘The RSW pelagic fleet segment has suffered significant quota loss of some 20,130 tonnes worth approximately €27.3 million, and this much needed support will go some way to supporting the segment to adjust to the changed situation we find ourselves in so as to ensure a profitable and sustainable fishing fleet into the future,’ he said.
The Pelagic Fisheries Support Scheme was one of the recommendations of the Seafood Taskforce appointed by the Minister. It is restricted to eligible vessels in the RSW pelagic segment as well as Polyvalent Tier 1 and Tier 2 vessels fishing for mackerel in 2021 and 2022. Payments under the scheme represent the value of reduced fishing opportunities that resulted from the actual loss of mackerel quota in 2021 and 2022 arising from the quota transfer of quota to the UK.
