The seafood sector has welcomed a commitment from Minister for the Marine Charlie McConalogue to protect access to Ireland’s rich blue whiting fishing grounds.
The December fisheries council in Brussels adopted provisional quotas for the first three months of 2023 as the EU agreement with Britain is not finalised.
Welcoming progress made at the Agrifish council, Minister for Marine Charlie McConalogue said the quotas will "support fishing at the beginning of the year".
“I do not expect we will need these provisional quotas but they are an insurance policy to provide certainty for our fishers,” he said.
McConalogue said that positive advice had been secured on a number of critical commercial stocks including spurdog, nephrops, Celtic Sea monkfish, hake and megrim and north-west haddock and whiting.
“I am satisfied..... that we will deliver quotas that follow the increases advised by science,”he said.
“I am also supporting cuts where these are needed to reduce fishing pressure on stocks and restricted catch limits for depleted stocks,”he added.
McConalogue also said he was working at EU level to limit the transfer of blue whiting quotas.
Blue whiting in Irish waters is valued at an estimated €100-€120m for 2023, according to fishing industry representatives.
Ireland currently has just 3% of the EU allowable quota for blue whiting, while Norway already has 18% and has been seeking “unfettered access” to Irish coastal waters
Mr McConalogue said he was working closely with the EU Fisheries Commissioner “to restrict access for the Norwegian fleet to the Irish zone and in particular the area within 50 miles of the Irish coast.”
Irish Fish Producers Organisation (IFPO) chief executive Aodh O’Donnell said the minister must “hold firm” against the proposal to give Norway access to blue whiting within the Irish exclusive economic zone.
“Until a final deal is reached, there is still a danger that EU interests will want to sacrifice access to Ireland’s waters to secure Norway’s Arctic cod for themselves,” he said.
“There is as yet no equitable offer on the table which would give Ireland anything in return for this blue whiting. This effectively pits us against other EU members, who don’t necessarily care about Ireland’s interests but do want access to Norway’s cod,” O’Donnell said.
“What we need is solidarity all round. The Irish fishing industry representatives are united and of one voice on this important national issue,” he said.
“ We need the support of our minister to fight for a fair deal. We need the support of the EU, so they give Ireland a fair deal. In return, we will support a politically negotiated agreement which gives Ireland, other member states and Norway a fair deal,” O’Donnell added.
Also commenting from Brussels, Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation (IS&WFPO) chief executive Patrick Murphy explained the Marine Institute Stock book published annually provides the up-to-date scientific information and advice developed by International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES).
“This book shows the blue whiting biomass is predominately in our waters in the Spring of each year. Norway receives additional amounts of blue whiting each year in return for access to their waters. For access in 2023, the Norway proposal is for more than 50,000 tons - 7,500 tons to be paid by Irish fishermen - for access to their waters,” Murphy said.
“In return, Europe would get 10,000 tons of Arctic cod - just 300 tons of which would go to Ireland,” Murphy noted.
“Norway already has a blue whiting quota nine times greater than ours at almost half a million tons. Yet, they demanded additional access to our waters to catch this species and offered no payment for their access,” Murphy said.
“We welcome the deferral of the EU-Norway talks and the minister’s commitment to ensure that Ireland’s priorities are protected,” Murphy said.
Irish Fish Processors and Exporters Association (IFPEA) chief executive Brendan Byrne noted that quotas could only be agreed on an “interim basis because the planned new EU/UK agreement is not yet signed.”
Byrne said the past few weeks showed “how effectively Irish fishing bodies could act when they came together in a united voice”.
“The Council awaits the UK signing of the agreement, but based on the science, at best, our valuable western horse mackerel fishery will be very limited and as a by-catch only,” he said.
“This is a serious development for the Irish fleet and for land-based processors due to the reduction in fishing opportunities. This makes a favourable outcome in blue whiting all the more important,” Byrne said.
