Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 18 May 2022

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Weighing of Fisheries Products: Discussion

Photo of Thomas PringleThomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The SFPA has to see what comes from the industry, if anything does.

On the landings, one of the problems in Killybegs is that blue whiting going for human consumption requires different handling than if it is going for fishmeal and so on. It makes a big difference to the crews as regards wages because blue whiting for human consumption is of significantly greater value when it goes to the factories. The view of the fishing industry is that weighing a full vessel of blue whiting does not prevent it going for human consumption. The SFPA may argue it does or does not; that is a moot point. The way it works at present is it goes for fishmeal, which has a major impact on the incomes of the crew of the boat and on the workers in the factories in respect of whether there is work available or not. There is something wrong with the way blue whiting is worked. Is it the view of the representatives that blue whiting will work through the scales on the pier? If that is not possible, why not? Could the 5% be checked on every vessel rather than picking one vessel out of 20 on which to do that check?

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.