The Irish fishing industry is intensifying what has become an angry battle against Nordic countries, in particular Norway, for what is alleged to be their abuse of mackerel catches. This could wipe out the stocks, causing a loss of over €10m to Ireland.
The European Union is accused of allowing Norway to take advantage of Ireland's marine resources. Now Irish fish producers want a complete ban to stop Norwegian access to Irish waters.
In the toughest language yet used in this on-going battle fish producers say today: "Norway only appreciates their adversary if they adopt a tough position, so it's time the EU stepped up for Ireland."
The Irish Fish Producers Organisation, formed in 1975, is the longest-established producers' organisation in the State and has been leading the charge against Norway.
"It has engaged in overfishing practices that are the main cause of a scientifically recommended mackerel quota cut of 22% next year, which will hit Ireland hardest."
"Norway only appreciates their adversary if they adopt a tough position, so it's time the EU stepped up for Ireland"
This is a recommendation from ICES – the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea – to sharply reduce 2025 catch quotas. "A hammer blow," according to the IFPO, which points out that Ireland has already lost 26% of its mackerel allowance to the UK in the Brexit deal.
It is not the only organisation demanding tough action against Norway. The country's other fishing organisations share the anger. The Faroes and Iceland are also blamed. "With Norway they have set unilaterally inflated quotas far in excess of the agreed levels historically," according to the Chief Executive of the Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation, Dominic Rihan.
"This is the third year in a row of quota cuts which threaten the viability of Ireland's mackerel fishing fleet and the onshore fish processing sector," says Aodh O Donnell, Chief Executive of the IFPO. "The EU and Irish fishermen have managed the shared mackerel stocks sustainably. But non-EU member, Norway, has been setting unilateral quotas and overfishing by up to 45% above recommended levels for at least three years now. Norway has been systematically ignoring the scientific advice and the EU has failed to curb these practices."
Norway, the Faroes and Russia are regarded by Ireland's industry as "the rogue players who continue their policy of fishing as much as they like of our shared migratory stock of mackerel. They do so with impunity because they consider that the EU will never apply sanctions to them."
The IFPO says it is time to ban Norway and other non-EU States from fishing Irish waters: "The IFPO wants a re-negotiation of the Norway-EU blue whiting deal, in a way which benefits Ireland proportionately, as similar deals do for other EU states. Otherwise, non-EU access must be blocked, and we must make this an election issue for our coastal communities. Change is needed. The Irish Government must demand parity of treatment for Ireland's fishing industry at EU level."
The Department of the Marine has said that Minister Charlie McConalogue will assist the EU Commission in taking steps "to counteract unsustainable practices."
But so far, as the industry organisations have highlighted, the EU has not acted strongly enough against Norway. So the battle to stop their level of mackerel fishing intensifies.
There have been some recent indications of Norwegian recognition that the mackerel stock could collapse because of the pressure being exerted on it. For the first time Fiskeriblladet, the biggest fishing industry publisher in Norway has publicly said that reducing catch pressure is critical to its sustainability and called for "a binding agreement between all mackerel-fishing nations, without which the stock could be irreparably damaged."
