Marine Times

Supertrawlers should be banned from Irish and EU Waters
Dutch super trawler is an annihilating force destroying the Irish fishing fleet

TD's Pádraig Mac Lochlainn and Michael Collins have come out objecting to the appearance of 'super trawlers' in Irish waters.

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Fisheries and the Marine, Pádraig Mac Lochlainn TD, has strongly criticised the presence of the 447ft super trawler and factory ship, the FV Margiris, in waters off the south west of Ireland in recent days.

He has repeated his call for super trawlers to be banned from fishing in Irish and EU waters.

Teachta Mac Lochlainn said: “The presence of this vessel in Irish waters is a kick in the teeth for an Irish fishing industry on its knees and facing further quota cuts, tie-up schemes and decommissioning of vessels.

“It is the second largest trawler in the world, and is undoubtedly causing untold damage to precious fish stocks off Ireland’s coast. Last year, this vessel shed 100,000 dead fish into the Bay of Biscay off the coast of France.

“For anyone within governments or authorities across Europe or Ireland to call this method of fishing sustainable with a straight face is laughable.

“It is highly destructive and it must be stopped. I am reiterating my previous calls that super trawlers be banned from fishing in all European waters as is the case in the waters around Australia.

“In the meantime, I will be again writing to the Ministers for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, requesting that the strictest supervision of this vessel and its’ fishing activities is undertaken while it is present here. The sooner this vessel leaves Irish waters, the better for all concerned.”

Independent TD for Cork South-West Michael Collins has launched a scathing attack on the presence of the Dutch owned super trawler The FV Margiris off the Cork and Kerry coast.

The Independent TD has also called for clarification on whether the vessel, which can deploy drag nets up to 1 kilometre in length, is being subjected to the same level of robust regulatory supervision or searches by the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority as Irish fishing vessels are:

“Every time this monster of a vessel enters Irish waters it casts a shadow of destruction over the local fishing fleet,” said Deputy Collins.

“It hoovered up thousands of tonnes of fish in Donegal in 2020 and now it is here off the Cork coast to engage in similar levels of catching that Irish fishermen haven’t a hope of competing with.”

“It is outrageous that we have vessels of this scale freely entering and operating within Irish waters at a time when our own fishermen and fisherwomen are being forced to either decommission their own boats or are being asked to operate with one hand tied behind their backs in terms of the paltry quota limits ‘negotiated,’ or more accurately, surrendered, by our own incompetent Government.”

“There is no place for this type of vessel in Irish waters and its future entry must be restricted.”

“The first priority of the Irish Government and indeed the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine should be about ensuring that such a restriction is given the force of law so that Irish fishermen and fisherwomen can have their already tenuous livelihoods protected,” concluded Deputy Collins.