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MARINE TIMES NEWS May 16th:
New Oireachtas committee calls for assertive and ambitious approach to fisheries and maritime affairs

Sinn Féin TD and chairperson of the new Joint Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, Conor D. McGuinness, has said the state must finally give coastal communities the voice they deserve, and put an end to decades of neglect, mismanagement and policy failure in the fishing and maritime sector.

Speaking as Chair at the inaugural meeting of the new Joint Oireachtas Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, Deputy McGuinness said the state’s relationship with its coastal communities and marine resources must change, and that the committee would serve as a platform for fairness, scrutiny, and action.

Deputy McGuinness called for a fundamental shift in how the state approaches maritime and fisheries policy, and stressed the importance of environmental oversight, proper support for rescue services and long-term sustainable development.

Teachta McGuinness said: “As someone from a coastal community, and with family ties to the fishing industry on both the south and east coasts, I know the value of the sea, and I’ve seen first-hand the hardship and risk involved in earning a living from it. Fishing isn’t just an industry, it’s a way of life. And for far too long, the communities who rely on it have been left behind.

“Our harbours have been allowed to fall into disrepair. Dredging has been delayed or denied. Our seafood processing sector has been left without support. Quotas are unfair. Regulation is often poorly enforced and unevenly applied. The state has failed to act as a champion for coastal communities and that must change.

“This must be a working committee. A committee that challenges government policy when it falls short. That scrutinises EU decisions. That holds agencies to account. That puts forward clear, proportionate and forward-looking solutions.

“We need an ambitious and assertive national marine policy. That means fairer quota allocations, upgraded harbour infrastructure, real investment in seafood processing, and a strategy that includes, not excludes, coastal and island communities in the shift to offshore renewables.

“We need to hear from small boat operators as well as large vessels. We need to back our fishers while protecting the marine environment. And we need to ensure that coastal communities - from Dunmore East to Killybegs, Clogherhead to Castletownbere - are no longer pushed to the margins.”