Ireland’s fishing industry is warning that it could lose up to €200 million if quota cuts recommended by scientists are supported by the EU.
The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has recommended a 70 percent cut to the mackerel quota, 41 percent cut for blue whiting, and a 22 percent cut for the boarfish catch for 2026.
ICES says that its advice to the EU is based on the state of the stocks in the north Atlantic.
But Irish fishers fear the economic impact of those cuts will be stinging.
On Sunday, fishing leaders held an emergency meeting in Killybegs with Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and the Marine, Timmy Dooley TD.
Following the meeting, Aodh O’Donnell, Chief Executive of the Irish Fish Producers Organisation (IFPO) said Minister Dooley acknowledged the scale of the threat to Ireland’s fishing and processing sectors.
“The Minister pledged to bring the industry’s concerns directly to the Government and present a financial framework for addressing the crisis to them”, Aodh O’Donnell said.
Aodh O’Donnell also said that the minister pledged to fight both these cuts, and what the Irish industry claims is an historic quota imbalance.
Fishing industry leaders called the meeting with Minister Dooley was “constructive”.
Following the meeting Minister Dooley said:
“The scale of the reduction in Total Allowable Catch recommendations by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) for key pelagic stocks such as Mackerel, Blue Whiting and Boarfish is deeply concerning and will significantly impact on the Irish Seafood sector. This sector has shown resilience in the face of continued challenges over recent years as well as demonstrating a commitment to sustainable fishing.
Ireland has raised the overfishing of key pelagic stocks by some Coastal States outside the EU repeatedly over recent years, and I will continue to highlight this critical issue for our fishers and engage intently with the European Commission and other Member States on possible actions to protect our stocks.”
Ultimately, the industry knows that quotas are proposed by the European Commission and the lobbying at an EU level is set to continue.
Fishing quotas are set at a meeting of EU fisheries ministers every December in Brussels.