The Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation, Ireland’s largest FPO, has announced that Bord Iascaigh Mhara Director of Economic and Strategic Services, Dominic Rihan has been appointed as taking over as its new CEO.
KFO board chairman Ciarán Doherty commented that the KFO is extremely pleased to have somebody of this calibre to lead the organisation through what will be a transformative and transitional period for Irish fisheries, with 34 years’ experience in working ‘at the coalface in crucial issues relating to fisheries.’
‘He is respected not just nationally, but at a European and international level and we have no doubt that he will be a driving force as well as a strategic leader as the KFO embarks on a new chapter,’ Ciarán Doherty said.
‘We have many challenges to overcome, the most important of which is reclaiming stocks and quota which have been taken from us. We look forward to Dominic picking up where his predecessor left off. We have lobbied tirelessly on burden-sharing post-Brexit and this work continues apace. It is imperative that all EU coastal states share the impact of fish lost due to the British withdrawal equally and fairly.’
Dominic Rihan has worked for Bord Iascaigh Mhara for 34 years in the fields of fishing gear technology, stakeholder engagement and provision of policy support and advice to government and the seafood industry. He also spent five years working in the European Commission, DG MARE as a seconded national expert in DG MARE dealing with the implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy.
Dominic Rihan takes up his position as CEO of the Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation in early 2024, replacing Seán O’Donoghue who earlier this year announced that he would be retiring.
‘I’m extremely excited and enthused about this appointment. Having observed the status and profile of the KFO up close for many years, it’s an organisation which represents members in a highly professional and effective way in an industry which is simultaneously complex and challenging,’ Dominic Rihan said.
‘I hope to use my experience for the betterment of the sector and look forward to building on the tireless work of my predecessor in representing the members of the KFO. I’d like to thank my colleagues in Bord Iascaigh Mhara for their unwavering support for the last 34 years and look forward to embracing this new chapter in 2024.’
