Ireland’s leading maritime newspaper covering the Coastal, Fishing and Maritime Communities

MARINE TIMES NEWS May 8th:
EU policies are subjecting Irish fisheries to catalogue of catastrophic outcomes

Leader of Independent Ireland Michael Collins has said he is of the clear view that “the EU and successive Irish Governments have engaged in a de facto war of attrition on Irish fishermen and woman through their insistence on the maintenance of post-Brexit quota cuts and EU Common Fisheries Policy allocations that have subsequently resulted in a catalogue of catastrophic outcomes.”

The Cork South-West TD was speaking following his contribution to a Dáil debate to mark Europe Day. During the debate, Deputy Collins noted that many boats are now able to access their entire annual EU allocated quotas in 9 weeks while boats operating out of Killybegs can catch their entire mackerel fish annual quota in 17 hours.

“From the largest trawlers to the smallest boats, the Irish fishing fleet is being decimated by series of relentless and ruinous quotas and restrictions and not one single Irish minister has achieved anything of material significance to slow that down or reverse the trend.”

“How have we arrived at a place where of the 1.6million tonnes taken out of Irish waters annually by pelagic fishing fleets, Ireland only has access to 60k tonnes? How have we arrived a point where although some fishermen and women are working an astonishing 8000 hours annually they are still operating on the border between marginal profits and utter ruin?”

“I and the entire Irish fisheries sector are sick to death of the draconian quota cuts and the systemic favouritism toward larger EU nations that has been on open display for decades now.”

“On fisheries the EU is nothing less than a mortal enemy completely indifferent to the outcomes it is generating for Irish families.”

“We need an abrupt and immediate reformulation of quotas including Blue whiting. We need the balance of power to shift back toward a position where Irish vessels are prioritised for access to the vast fishing reserves of our own waters.”

“Until that day happens ‘Europe Day’ will be nothing more than a reminder of how brutal our so-called friends in Brussels can be.”