On foot of PQ responses from the Minister for the Marine, Aontú Cllr in Wexford Jim Codd has hit out at the fact that only a third of the fish caught in Irish waters are caught by Irish fishermen and that not enough is being done by the Minister to stand up for Irish fishermen.
Cllr Jim Codd: “Only a few months ago, Rural Ireland had to come up the Liffey to be heard. Men and women from as far as Donegal and Kerry came up to ask their government to stand up for them. There is precious little evidence that anything has changed. The Minister has said he is asking the Commission, with his best manners, to consider a draft control plan on the matter.
“Does no one remember how the Irish government and EU Commission made Irish fishermen the sacrificial lambs of Brexit and to appease Boris Johnson? Over 5 years, Irish fishermen only got 10% of the total amount of Hake fished in Irish waters. Of the most fished species in Irish waters, the Blue Whiting, over 5 years Irish fishermen only got 21% of that total. This is even without the 2020 and 2021 figures,” he said.
“The men, women and children I serve rely on these boats for their living. We need no more glib, lip service. Now we have a farcical situation where these same fishermen after being thrown about at sea, and in gale winds, they have their fish gutted, iced and steamed for home.”
Now officials tell them to unbox and weigh them on the pier – only then to be reboxed, brought up 200 yards and weighed again – as it always has been. The Minister needs to stand up and tell the
Commission enough is enough. Let us only hope he does a better job for Irish fishermen than the MICA homeowners in his own county.”
Leader of Aontú, Peadar Tóibín said that “Irish fish and fishing rights have been handed over lock, stock and barrel to other countries. Indeed, many countries are doing far better out of Irish waters, than
Irish fishermen themselves. This is in addition to the cuts in Irish fishing quotas in British waters.
“According to Departmental projections, Ireland’s coastal share of fish will shrink by at least 15% in the next 6 years. Now after being hammered by Dublin and Brussels, Irish fishermen are now being forced to weigh on the pier to suffice some nonsensical box-ticking exercise Irish fishermen are being singled out for. No other fishing sector has been so poorly treated by its own government and by the EU – it is an absolute disgrace. The Minister needs to start fighting for Irish fishermen, from Dublin to Brussels, else the sector will stand up for themselves.”