The Minister for Agriculture Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D., today addressed the inaugural meeting of the Seafood Sector Taskforce, established by the Minister to make recommendations on measures to mitigate the impacts on the Irish Fishing industry, and on the coastal communities that depend on fisheries, of the fish quota share reductions arising from the EU/UK Trade & Cooperation Agreement.
Addressing the Taskforce, Minister McConalogue said, “The outcome of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement will lead to a loss of €43 million per year in fish quotas for our fisheries sector, with knock-on effects on marine support industries and our coastal communities. The quota reductions in some of our most important stocks will be felt immediately by our fishing industry when the full annual EU quotas for 2021 are determined shortly. The impacts for Ireland’s fishing sector are disproportionate compared to other Member States and I again call on the Commission and other Member States to find a more equitable solution to the quota transfers to the UK.”
Minister McConalogue added, “I can assure this Task Force that the Government will work to ensure that the fisheries sector, and the coastal communities that depend on it, are supported through the period ahead. The Work of this Task Force will inform funding priorities for the coming years under my Department’s Seafood Development Programme 2021-27 and under the Brexit Adjustment Reserve.
The Seafood Sector Taskforce
The Seafood Sector Taskforce is chaired by Aidan Cotter, barrister and former CEO of Bord Bia. Mr Cotter will be assisted by a steering group comprised of Margaret Daly - Deputy CEO of seafood processor Errigal Bay Ltd and Mícheal Ó Cinnéide, member of the Aquaculture Licensing Appeals Board and former Director of the EPA and Marine Institute.
Chairperson – Aidan Cotter
Steering Group - Margaret Daly and Mícheal Ó Cinnéide
Members
- · Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation
- · Irish Fish Producers Organisation
- · Irish South & West Fishermen’s Organisation
- · Irish South & East Fishermen’s Organisation
- · Irish Islands Marine Resource Organisation PO
- · National Inshore Fisheries Forum
- · 4 main Fishermen’s Co-operatives (Castletownbere, Foyle, Clogherhead, Galway & Aran)
- · Irish Fish Processors & Exporters Organisation
- · Irish farmers Association (aquaculture branch)
- · Fisheries Local Action Groups (1 representative of the 7 FLAGs)
- · Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine
- · Bord Iascaigh Mhara (secretariat)
- · Bord Bia
- · Enterprise Ireland
- · Údarás na Gaeltachta
- · Tourism Ireland
- · Coastal Local Authorities (2)
- · Irish Local Development Network