Michael Collins (Cork South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Fishermen, fisher-women and the fishing industry in general have been the poor relation in Irish politics. The fishing industry has struggled to be recognised as the second most important in the country owing to a lack of vision shown by successive Governments. On Sunday the British who have been sweetening the Irish Government up to now with some nice words about Brexit came out and showed, in respect of the fishing industry, that they wanted to see a hard Brexit. They want Irish trawlers out of British waters, in which up until now we have fished 60% of our mackerel stock and 40% of our prawn stock. Also, European trawlers will have to exit British waters. The Taoiseach knows well to where they will turn when this happens: straight into Irish waters. In recent years some €2.5 million worth of Irish fish has left the port of Castletownbere alone weekly in foreign vessels for Spain. This is an extraordinary loss to Irish fishermen and the economy. In an interview on RTE Radio 1 on Sunday the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Michael Creed, when pushed on the announcement made by the British, accepted that it would be a disaster if it were to happen. However, what was most worrying was that when the Minister was pushed further, he accepted that the Government had no plan B. In all honesty, it has no plan A or plan B for Irish fishermen and Governments have not had for many years.

Recently at the Joint Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs representatives of fishing organisations were present for several hours. The unfair way in which many fishermen are being treated is scandalous, to say the least. Fishermen from the south west only possess 13% of mackerel fishing rights, while those in the north west possess 87%. Public representatives and the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation did their best on the day to put the case. We said all we wanted was that if a further quota became available, fishermen in the south west should be given first choice, but all of our efforts will fall on deaf ears.

Fishermen are facing and have faced some tough years. Inshore fishermen have been almost totally forgotten. In 2007 the Government of the day introduced a ban on drift-net fishing for salmon in Irish waters. This had a devastating effect on all coastal communities. Drift-net fishing for salmon was the lifeblood of offshore islands and rural communities where the only employment to be gained was in fishing or farming. The ban should never have been introduced and was to have been reviewed after seven years. Ten years later, there has been no review and none is planned. In 2007 inshore fishermen were blamed for the drop in salmon stocks, but the so-called experts have been proved wrong as stocks have not yet recovered. In turn, it has led to anglers and other bodies seeking a seal cull.

The Taoiseach has a unique opportunity to be different from his predecessors in respect of the fishing industry. How does he intend to deal with the announcement made by the British over the weekend?

How does he propose to deal with the massive anomaly whereby south west fishermen have only 13% of the mackerel rights? In regard to inshore fishermen, will the Taoiseach provide for a review of the salmon drift net fishing ban, which is now three years overdue? If the Taoiseach and the Government are serious about the importance of the fishing industry, will he appoint a designated Minister for the marine with sole responsibility for rebuilding the fishing industry in this country?

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