“EU Must Address Historic Imbalance for Irish Fishing Industry”
Irish fishing leaders say the Government must meet the EU Commission to determine how our fishing industries can survive on reduced quotas. The call comes as the EU announces plans to extend their current post-Brexit UK fishing deal to 2038, despite the fact that a staggering 40% of the value of quotas transferred to the UK come from Ireland alone.
“There was no justification first time round for Ireland to be singled out to pay such a high price for the UK fishing agreement,” says Aodh O Donnell, CEO of the Irish Fish Producers Organisation. “There is even less reason now, as we have loudly and clearly outlined how damaging this deal was for Ireland. It has already cost our industry an estimated €180 million to date.
“It is time that the Irish Government stood up to protect our interests if the EU is incapable of doing so. Our MEPs and officials must demand a fairer deal for Ireland before the new agreement is due to come into effect next year.”
O Donnell welcomed the statement from Irish MEP Nina Carberry, who called for long-term certainty and a level playing field for Irish fishermen from today’s EU-UK Summit. However this call appears to have fallen on deaf years, he says, as the EU and UK reached a deal based on a rollover of the existing Brexit fishing arrangements.