I am the skipper of a fishing boat operating off the northwest coast and, in my opinion, I feel that the Irish pelagic sector has been sold down the river in order to get the BREXIT ‘deal’ over the line.
I don't need to explain that even before this deal, Ireland has a disproportionate percentage of Europe's fishing grounds and that the other member states take a disproportionate amount of fish from our waters.
If Ireland looses 1kg of fish it is one kilo too much, but for Ireland to potentially lose 25% of its mackerel quota and 99%of its Irish sea herring is nothing short of criminal.
How can this be sold to the Irish fishing industry as a good deal?
Unfortunately the word ‘disproportionate‘ is a word used far too much when talking about Ireland and any fishing deals done within the EU — all we ever get is too little and all we give away is too much.
Although our industry only contributed a very small percentage to Ireland’s GDP, the vital employment generated is in remote coastal parts of the country where work is scarce.
This deal is the death knell for these communities and even if these communities were to be financially compensated it would never be enough.
How is it possible to compensate for loosing our whole way of life and our culture?
Our industry was never happy with the deal done when we joined the EU in the first place but we have had to live with it for the common good.
This time there is no common good for our country.
The status quo seem to have remained for the rest of our EU friends which depend on fishing, if this brexit deal is to be ratified by all the member states, surely Ireland has to veto the decision until the the pain is equally divided amongst us all.
Name & address supplied