The new Seafood Ireland group travelled to Brussels last week to seek support from MEPs, following confirmation in two reports of a sharp decline in Irish landings.
Noting that landings by Irish vessels fell by a ‘staggering’ €37m last year compared to 2022, according to figures from the Sea- Fisheries Protection Authority, the alliance warned that the sector is in ‘freefall’.
Statistics from Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) show a similarly bleak picture, with gross profit of the fishing fleet down by ‘a massive 82%’ in 2023, the alliance noted.