Fishing Industry To Face Tough Year In 2012

THE annual EU Fisheries Summit has now finished in Brussels running through last Thursday and Friday (15/16 December) and it has left County Down prawn, white fish and herring fishermen with an overall difficult year ahead in 2012. 

The fishing opportunities set through the Total Allowable Catches for each species are hammered out though the formal debates and the behind-the-scenes horse trading. And despite increasing calls for more regional control for Northern Ireland's fishing industry, against an open acknowledgement, the Common Fisheries Policy has failed. Each year sees a gloomy scenario unfold... like a pre-Christmas ritual. EU Commission Proposals are debated, argued against, and deals are struck. And further gloom spreads.

McCulla Says Confusing Picture From Brussels

The County Down fishing fleet faces more pressures for 20102

Speaking after the EU Fisheries Council Summit in Brussels , Alan McCulla, Chief Executive of the Anglo-North Irish Fish Producers Organisation, said the result left him "somewhat confused."

He said: “We are relieved a neutral result was achieved for our nephrop fishery. According to the science a 19 per cent proposed cut in this quota was never justifiable. In fact we should have got an increase. Nevertheless we are relieved the Northern Ireland team, led by our Fisheries Minister Michelle O’Neill MLA, secured a rollover of this TAC.

"Further deep cuts in the number of days all of our fishermen can spend at sea were tempered by the EC’s agreement to continue to allow our prawn fishermen to ‘buy-back’ days at sea through the adoption of various technical conservation measures. Whilst challenging, the aim during the first half of 2012 will be to identify additional measures to exempt our prawn fishermen from days at sea restrictions.”

“For our few remaining whitefish fishermen the news is not good. A 25 per cent cut in the Irish Sea cod quota, combined with a 25 per cent cut in days at sea may well spell the end of what was once a very important part of the local fleet. The situation with cod typifies the complete lack of logic in the Commission’s approach to these negotiations. Irish Sea cod is one of the stocks the Commission describe as being data poor, but their answer to addressing this problem is to force fishermen to catch less cod, therefore providing less data.

"This is a something we’ve been discussing with DARD for some considerable time. We urgently need to address this situation as regretfully there is a complete contradiction between the amount of cod fishermen are seeing in the Irish Sea and the amount fisheries scientists say are there.”

Fishing communities in Down face the effects of the EU Fisheries Summit decision with a reduction in fish quotas

“Herring in the Irish Sea presents another contradiction, but this time not between local fishermen and fisheries scientists, but rather between Northern Ireland’s fishing industry, officials and fisheries scientists on one side and the European Commission on the other. All of the evidence, fisheries and science alike confirms the numbers of herring in the Irish Sea have at least quadrupled in the last four years. Yet after the EC agreeing a 10 per cent rise in this TAC for 2011, the EC has imposed a 10 per cent cut for 2012. However, there remains an opportunity to resolve this situation in time for the 2012 herring season. There is absolutely no reason why the herring TAC could not be significantly increased.”

“Overall the European Commission have imposed a reduction on the value of fish and shellfish local fishermen can land into Northern Ireland in 2012. This is very disappointing, especially because if the science was followed there should have been an overall increase in the value of fish and shellfish landed into County Down’s fishing ports.”

While Mr McCulla was reasonably upbeat about the overall deal in Brussels, he added that one other issue the entire Northern Ireland team agreed upon is having Eurocrats and officials from countries as far away as Estonia and Greece decide on what happens in the Irish Sea is a nonsense. He said, “The sooner Brussels gets their hands out of the Irish Sea, the better it will be for fish stocks, the fishing industry and the economy of the County Down coast.”
SDLP South Down MP Margaret Ritchie has called for the total reform of common fisheries policy leading to regionalisation.

NIFPO Warns Of Tough Time For 2012

Dick James, Northern Ireland Fish Producers Organisation Chief Executive, said: "There will be tough times ahead for the Northern Ireland fishing industry. He said, "On top of the 25 per cent cut in cod and 5 per cent cut in haddock, we face a 23 per cent cut in sole, 5 per cent cut in monkfish, 5 per cent cut in megrims and a 6 per cent cut in hake. Compared with the 150 per cent increase for the cod quota in the English Channel and 200 per cent increase in haddock quota off Scotland, we had done badly. This will spell the end of the white fish fishing sector in Northern Ireland.

"There was never a scientific justification for cutting the nephops (prawn) quota and although we have a rollover this year, the introduction of the Swedish panel in nets from July onwards will cause serious difficulties for prawn boats. All vessels will have to have these panels fitted by the 1 July. The UK Fisheries Minister hopes that the days at sea issue will then not be a significant issue once this system is adopted. 

"Again the science available for the herring stock in the Irish Sea shows it is healthy and a cut of 10 per cent is difficult to understand. This will have a knock on effect to the two pelagic fish factories in Ardglass and the one in KIlkeel. There is no moral justification for this cut which is very painful for the industry."

Ritchie calls for CFP Reform

SOUTH Down MP Margaret Ritchie has commented on the recent EU Fisheries Summit decisions affecting County Down fishermen.

Ms Ritchie said: “Whilst happy with prawn quotas, I am disappointed herring, cod and cuts in days at sea will see a reduction in fishing effort.

“There needs to be further negotiations to ensure we have a sustainable off-shore and on-shore fishing industry. There needs to be reform of the Common Fisheries Policy which means regionalisation for the fish species allocations.

“We do not want areas like South Down to be subject to the political chicanery of Britain’s negotiations with the Eurozone. Further restrictions to the days at sea regulations and the cod delivery programme is unacceptable and has the potential to jeopardise an industry that is an integral part of our economy.

“There is no evidence to support many of the measures that were proposed by the EU Commission. Last month I met with Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon and urged him to return with a deal from Brussels that can secure the fishing industry here. I continue to urge him. There needs to be further negotiations with the Brussels and the Irish Government to ensure there is a fair deal for everyone operating on the Irish Sea.”