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ifsacormac

A Minister in hiding at a time of crisis


No political substance in defence of the Irish fishing industry


Editorial Comment

Cormac Burke, Chairman IFSA


Despite year after year of breaking agreements, the EU Commission’s failure to impose any penalty on non-EU countries that set unilateral quotas for mackerel and reject ICES advice has finally pushed the Irish fishing industry to the brink, which has this week resulted in unprecedented calls from Ireland’s catching and processing industry representatives for a ban on Norwegian vessels fishing in Irish waters.


Various TDs and election candidates (and even the Irish media for a pleasant change) seem to be rowing in behind the industry’s demands that the Irish Government calls on the EU Commission to stand up for Irish fishing communities and that other nations cannot continuously overfish while Irish fishing communities suffer the consequences but notably there has been radio silence on the matter from the leaders of all the Irish political parties with apparently not one of them willing to stick their head above the parapet and take a shot at the EU Commission.


People need to understand that the international scientific advice for the mackerel stock deals in marine biological terms and not geographic nor political boundaries, and therefore it [ICES] can only look at the catching pressure currently on the stock [shared by EU and Nordic nations] regardless of whether that pressure is from EU or non EU fishing fleets - - and so when countries such as Norway, Iceland & Faroe Islands overfish the recommended quota by some 40% then the EU nations who have traditionally recognised the need for sustainability must ‘take the hit’ and see their quotas reduced so that the overall mackerel stock can stay within the scientific term of MSY (Maximum Sustainable Yield).


Ireland lost 25% of its mackerel quota in the Brexit deal, then followed a further scientifically advised reduction, and are now facing another 22% cut in 2025 - - this time in what is clearly an ever-decreasing circle of Nordic nations destroying the stock while everyone else adheres to the alarming scientific advice - - until one day the stock will simply collapse from overfishing by rogue nations and then Ireland, and other EU pelagic fishing nations, will no longer have a mackerel fishery while Norway, Iceland & Faroes will just move on to undertaking the exact same strategy of unadulterated greed on the blue whiting fishery.


Bad enough that this is happening but then the EU Commission, while outwardly complaining about the abuse of the mackerel stock by the Nordic nations, continues to do ‘deals’ with Norway, a non EU nation, to be able to catch approximately 200,000 tonnes of blue whiting in Irish waters  - (while Ireland’s quota in Irish waters is less than 60,000 tonnes) - - and in return EU vessels can access Norwegian waters to catch a few thousand tonnes of Atlanto Scandic herring and 2,000 tonnes of Arctic Cod, with Ireland, the people who are actually footing the bill for all of this ‘deal’, being granted the insulting amount of 300 tonnes of those cod.


So, in essence, the EU Commission gives Norway, a country that is annually overfishing the mackerel quota by 40%, some 200,000 tonnes of Irish blue whiting and in return Ireland gets 300 tonnes of cod and a couple of thousand tonnes of AS herring - - this, as one fisherman put it, is trading away gold for lead.


The EU Fisheries Commission has a history of ‘double dealing’ and this current problem is just a magnification of its continuing to ‘do business’ with the Faroe Islands while that nation is in fisheries agreements with Russia and meanwhile the European Union claims it continues to undertake a total embargo on all commercial dealings with Russia due to the Ukranian conflict - - therefore why is no one pointing out that the Commission is in breach of the Union’s own regulations?

.


“I am listening and I am acting”…

In his Ard Fheis speech in April this year the outgoing Agriculture, Food & Marine Minister Charlie McConalogue claimed that he was “working tirelessly to support our fishing sector and coastal communities”.


And, in June 2022, following an EU Fisheries Council meeting, McConalogue issued the following statement:

“I emphasised in particular the importance of the EU addressing effectively the current unsustainable behaviour of Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands setting unilateral unsustainable quotas for mackerel and blue whiting.”


And what has happened since then? Absolutely nothing aside from a new trilateral mackerel deal agreed between the UK, Norway and the Faroe Islands.


In the days following the industry’s demand for a ban on Norwegian vessels fishing in Irish waters there’s been not a word from the Irish Government or more importantly from the Irish Marine Minister.


For the man who’s always first in front of a camera to cut a ribbon on a new pier somewhere or other, the industry are asking where is McConalogue’s support and defence of Ireland in coming out and openly asking the EU Commission what it is going to do about the situation and is the Commission willing to introduce measures to ensure compliance?


Instead of dismissing any person or organisation who is critical of his management of the Irish fishing industry as “lacking substance” or taking personal offence at fishermen who regard him as an ineffective minister, McConalogue would be better served at this time in rolling up his sleeves and getting stuck into to an EU Commission who clearly have little regard for the Irish fishing industry or for the future sustainability of fish stocks within Irish waters.


Can you just imagine if this situation was taking place in the waters of France or Spain? Do you think those fishermen would allow their marine minister hide away and not utter a word of defiance against the EU Commission? They’d have him on the front line fighting for their industry and challenging the Commission or else he’d find himself out of a job overnight.


The fiasco of the EU complaining about non EU nations abusing mackerel quotas but then getting into bed with these same nations to do deals to allow them fish in Irish waters continues year after year with no more than a ‘tut-tut’ from an Irish marine minister who tells the press that he is “working tirelessly to support the fishing sector and coastal communities”.


With a general election on the horizon this industry demands a show of strength, not from the odd TD or candidate here and there, but from the leaders of all of the political parties  - - or is it a case of these politicians simply don’t have the stomach for the fight and are working to other agendas in keeping in favour with European Union?

…………….


Footnote:

It’s worth noting that despite the Nordic nations flagrantly abusing the scientific advice and massively overfishing the mackerel stock there has been a deafening silence from the vast number of green and environmental groups when surely this is one occasion when they should be screaming from the rooftops?


Given that Norway being allowed to continue this abuse is largely the fault of the EU’s inaction and their other business ‘deals’ with that nation and that, under the EU’s current (2021-2027) ‘financial instrument supporting environmental, nature conservation and climate action projects and groups’ a total of €5.4 billion is being paid out these groups - - so these same people are unlikely to criticise the EU nor bite the hand that feeds….



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