Ireland’s leading maritime newspaper covering the Coastal, Fishing and Maritime Communities
MARINE TIMES NEWS February 10th:
Government Wants to Give Up on the Fishing Industry Says Oireachtas Chairman
Inshore fishermen have challenged the labelling of imported shellfish for retail sale to Irish consumers and have been told that the Oireachtas Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs will pursue this.
The Committee was examining NIFA’s ’Proposal for an Inshore Fisheries Income Stabilisation & Climate Compensation Scheme’ on behalf of Ireland’s Inshore Fishermen.’ This is examined in detail in the February edition of the MARINE TIMES on sale now imprint and online.
Pages from the February issue of the Marine Times Newspaper
NIFA raised the issue of why farming and artists are given support by government, but there is nothing similar for their sector.
They challenged in particular the labelling of overseas imports of shellfish. Dublin Airport was described as one of the biggest fish importing ports, so much shellfish is being imported and labelled for retail sale as Irish produce when it is not, the National Inshore Fishermen’s Association said.
“It is now beyond dispute that a Basic Income Stabilisation Payment (BISP) is required to maintain the viability of Ireland’s inshore fishing sector because, over the past five years, inshore fishermen have experienced huge impacts, causing major problems,” the Committee was told.
For every one inshore fisherman, who is an independent small business, seven jobs are supported ashore the National Inshore Fishermen’s Association said and warned that, if their sector is lost, wiped out because of current economic and financial pressures on them, there will be nothing left for many coastal and rural communities to depend upon.
Amongst the difficulties outlined to TDs and Senators who are members of the Committee were the costs of diesel, bait and insurance.
NIFA Chairman Michael Desmond from West Cork told how he had lost his boat in the recent storms when it sank at the pier and, because he had not been able to earn enough from fishing due to loss of fishing days, cuts in quotas and poor prices, he had not had insurance on the boat. “I have tied up there for 20 years and the force of the gale was not warned about and I lost my boat, my income.”
“We are in the present position because of cut after cut on fishing opportunities. We have no support, not enough recognition from the State. We are competing with imports such as shellfish which is represented as produce from Ireland, but is flown in here, packaged and represented as Irish. Compare that with the concern about imports of beef,” Mr. Desmond told the Oireachtas. “Something needs to be done about this.”
Committee Chairman Conor McGuinness T.D. said that Dublin Airport was one of the biggest fish ports in terms of imports and the issue of accurate food labelling would have to be dealt with.
“You see great pictures of Irish areas on the front of a package nd then on the back in small print where the product came from and it is not Ireland.” said Mr. Desmond.
“What inshore fishing offers to the economic support of rural and coastal communities needs to be appreciated,” said Michael Dixon who told the Committee he fishes from Ballyglass in Mayo and is a Director of NIFA. "Without intervention, Ireland risks the collapse of a sector that produces high-quality domestic food; sustains coastal and island communities and supports significant onshore employment in processing, transport and services.”
Dáil Deputy Jennifer Whitmore said that, while she had particular views about sustainable fishing, the NIFA proposal showed that it was important that the Government shift to a position where it assisted fishermen. ”I don’t understand why, from a cultural, rural community, tourism, perspective there is not the same support for fishing as for farming. There should be State money set aside for this to preserve the tradition of inshore fishing. Fishermen are culturally important to Ireland as well as economically to their communities.”
Mr. Dixon outline the difficulties of any fisherman in replacing or upgrading a boat because of the costs involved, which fishermen could not achieve from the present reduction in fishing quotas and the lack of any particular commitment to inshore fishermen such as through their hook-and-line approach to fishing.
“We are not here to put anyone out of business, but to seek attention to and support for inshore fishermen.”
Chairman Desmond said that, twelve months ago they had met Minister Timmy Dooley and stressed the need for immediate assistance and were still waiting. “There is not appreciation of how difficult the situation. We need immediate assistance,” he said, outlining how there was financial pressure from many aspects.
NIFA indicated little belief in the ‘Task Force approach’ to the industry because too long was taken to achieve anything.
Deputy Padraig MacLochlainn described the NIFA proposal as “not from consultants, but from fishermen and their families, about reality of the situation, culture, heritage, food production, hundreds of years of history, tradition. Economic support makes sense, rather than pushing fishermen onto the dole.”
The problem of encouraging any young people into fishing were also discussed.
The Committee Chairman said the question had to be asked “whether the Government wanted to give up on the fishing industry, to surrender Irish coastal rights, to give up on coastal communities and the answer was ‘yes’ that they do. That must be changed,” he said.
NIFA disclosed that it has been unable to make or get any contact with or from the new Task Force set up by Minister Dooley in December to address severely reduced fishing opportunities.
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In our February edition -
Once Lost Inshore Fleet Cannot Be Easily Rebuilt - NIFA warns of dangers ahead and calls for a major plan for inshore fisheries; The Aquaculture Licensing Scandal; The human dimension of a mackerel season that is at the crossroads – Blink and you might miss it; Fisheries must not be left on the sideline in development of MPAs, as has happened previously; the industry is in the worst place it has ever been ....
.... all of this plus so much more in our February issue
Puchase a single issue download from this link for just €2 - Order here
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