The government says it is up to operators to decide where to land after complaints that too much fish is being processed outside Ireland.
According to the Irish Fish Processors and Exporters Association (IFPEA), more than 38,000 tonnes of Irish quota was processed abroad.
The IFPEA says that means a loss of jobs and a scarcity of supply for Irish fish processing plants.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has now responded, saying that it cannot control where fish caught in waters off Ireland is subsequently landed and processed.
“It is a matter for vessel operators to decide where to land their catches, based on factors such as market conditions and individual business needs”, a spokesperson for the Department told NewsIreland.eu.
IFPEA wants the government to look into why so much Irish quota is being landed elsewhere.
According to the association, the amount of fish landed outside the state was up by nearly one-third last year.
“There is a clear need to establish why this is happening and to deal with any underlying issues that make so much quota leave the country at a time of sacristy of supply into every single Irish fish processing plant”, the IFPEA says.
The government said it continues to invest in Ireland’s processing industry.
“The Department owns, operates and maintains six designated State-owned Fishery Harbour Centres, located at Castletownbere, Dingle, Dunmore East, Howth, Killybegs and Ros An Mhíl”, the department’s spokesperson said.
“The Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme is a capital expenditure programme funded, in the main, from the Department’s Vote. Its strategic objectives include ensuring the future viability of the fishing industry, bringing the Fishery Harbour Centres up to best international standards, reducing congestion at the harbours and improving safety for the fisheries sector.
Since 2023, over €80 million has been allocated by the Department for capital works in the Fishery Harbour Centres.
In the period 2020 to 2024 over €50 million in supports has been provided to the 103 operators in the seafood processing sector, under schemes implemented by Bord Iascaigh Mhara, the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland, Bord Bia and Enterprise Ireland.”
The department also pushed back on suggestion that Ireland’s processing sector was struggling.
“Overall the sector has demonstrated resilience in recent years, with growth in employment and value in the sector.”