Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

On Friday, a Danish vessel with a cargo of blue whiting was prevented from landing at Killybegs Harbour due to the approach that has been taken by the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority with regard to how fish are weighed. Yesterday, a Norwegian fishing vessel was also prevented from landing at Killybegs. Some 54 workers were told that there was no work for them in the processing factory and were sent home. Today, as we speak, the same Norwegian vessel, the Ingrid Majalla, is pulling into the port of Derry, which operates under the same EU rules as Killybegs. Some 950 tonnes of fish will be offloaded from that vessel. Later today, there will be 40 lorry loads of fish will be transported from Derry to Killybegs for processing. That is an example of stupidity and madness. The situation is unacceptable. We understand that a third fishing vessel has decided not to even to attempt to land at Killybegs and is steaming back to Norway. There is a huge damage to our industry and to jobs. I ask the Taoiseach to instruct the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy McConalogue, to intervene because there is a solution available that the High Court has identified.

See this speech in context