Mr. Michael Desmond:

Yes. As the Deputy is aware, shrimp fishing is vitally important to west Cork, particularly as we probably have the highest number of inshore fishermen along the Irish coastline compared with other coastal counties. However, it is the same all around the coast from Donegal to other areas. West Cork has more shrimp fishermen than any other area. Traditionally, the season has opened on 1 August and closed in the middle of March. Last year and the year before, it opened to the processors in September and closed at the end of November. Some buyers opened again at the beginning of September and closed again at Christmas. Those of us who rely on that source of income do not have an income. Regarding the corporate processors that were open in August, the prices were about one third of what they were in 2021. If you take into consideration the fact that our costs for things like fuel and pots have spiralled out of control - they have doubled - and our income has come down by that much, it leaves the families depending on it in a very vulnerable situation.