Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 25 October 2023

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Pre-Agriculture and Fisheries Council: Discussion

Dr. Ciaran Kelly:

No, but from the point of view of perspective, the Minister's story about fewer mackerel being available in local waters, if we look at that over a longer time period, even before larger fisheries, we see exactly the same pattern. It is not the case that just because of global warming the fish have moved north. It is much more complicated than that, but the Minister's story is true. Mackerel distribution has changed. While some stocks are less abundant in our waters, other stocks like borer fish and blue whiting are more abundant, so it is a very complicated mix of what is going on.