Ms Norah Parke:

There are fishing opportunities to which there is no track record attached. For example, only 50% of the tonnage for inshore fisheries for mackerel is availed of. I know that the island fishermen, to a certain extent, probably would not be interested in it because there is little they can do with it. If landed on an island, at best, it will perhaps be used as bait for crustacean fisheries. These are the issues underpinning the sustainability of fisheries for islanders.

The Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation supports the concept of special status for island residents. We would give every bit of support and help we could in that regard. It has to make economic sense, however. I would feel we would be doing a disservice to islanders if we did not underpin it with proper infrastructure and whatever else is needed, even in the way of information as to what is available. I spoke to some Donegal islanders before I came to this meeting and was astounded at the number of them who did not even realise they could fish mackerel. There is a big information gap that needs to be addressed. We have no problem with boosting the amount of fishing the islands do. We would be delighted and they would be more than welcome to join a PO and avail of its services. Everybody seems to think POs have a magic wand for getting quotas for their members. I wish that was the case. We would be more than happy to represent the islanders on those fishing issues. As Mr. O’Donnell said, in recent years, the opportunities for the inshore sector, including islanders, have improved enormously.

That process has started and will continue and evolve.

The suggestion that we are here as producer organisations protecting the quota that we own is nonsense. That is not the case at all.