Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Rural Independents and welcome this rare opportunity to talk about inshore fishing. Despite being the largest segment of our fishing sector and providing the most employment, it is too often overlooked.

This is a timely discussion as the National Inshore Fishermen's Association has finally, thanks to its members’ tireless efforts, achieved producer organisation status. I was delighted to be able to assist them in this process, and acknowledgement is also due to the Minister for his support. However, despite this good news, overall inshore fishing has been neglected by this and previous governments. In terms of vessels, people employed, distribution, and cultural heritage, it is the most significant part of the fishing industry. Despite this, Government policy and, crucially, quota distribution vastly favours larger vessels and the bigger players.

As I have continuously raised, this is a highly unequal system designed and enforced by the Minister and Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Last week we discussed the new office of food regulation and the vulnerability of primary producers to exploitation. Unfortunately, in the case of inshore fishing it is the Government which is imposing unfair trading practices by limiting the capacity of the sector.

The clearest example of this appalling disparity is the mackerel quota. Currently, only 2% of this quota is assigned to vessels under 15 m, while 98% is given to a small number of larger boats. To be clear, more than 2,000 boats get only 2%, while fewer than 100 larger boats get 98% of that share. In June 2021, this meagre quota was reached for that year, meaning fishers who were just getting by, were not permitted to catch even a few dozen mackerel for sale at the likes of a farmers’ market or to local restaurants. I raised this issue on behalf of the inshore fishers at the time, but almost two years later nothing has changed. Even more worrying is that the Minister does not even acknowledge this is an issue. When I raised it with the Minister last April, he stated:

At the moment, that sector, which is extremely sustainable, viable and important, gets 400 tonnes per year. A few years ago, it did not get any.

I do not know any inshore fishers who would agree with that assessment.

This sector is screaming out for a fairer allocation of quotas and targeted supports. The Government could assign them ten times their current mackerel quota and it still would not be fair. I strongly support this motion’s call for “a greater quota allocation with diversification to other species”. A more equitable and realistic distribution of our quotas is required, especially as some of them are impacted by Brexit. For too long, a small number of big players have dominated the sector. Allocations must be taken from them and given to the majority of fishers who are practising a more sustainable type of fishing.

Inshore fishers are being hit by the same skyrocketing costs as other food producers, yet they are not getting the same attention. Fuel costs, insurance and bait prices are combining to make a tough situation even harder. Reflecting the structural barriers faced by this sector, many of the Government support schemes for the fishing industry in recent years have outright or de facto excluded inshore vessels. For example, the Brexit inshore fisheries business model adjustment scheme, which was designed to help inshore fishers adjust to the post-Brexit context, was based on a threshold of activity during the first six months of 2021. However, this disregarded the majority of vessels that are under 8 m in west Cork and other areas that are involved in seasonal fisheries.

With the challenges faced by many fishers, seasonal work is common. Lobster, velvet crab, scallops and brown crab are fished from July and August, outside the period which counted under the Brexit scheme. This exclusion is even more clear for inshore shrimp fishery, which by law can only begin on 1 August. The Minister has to appreciate the frustration in the industry when faced with barriers such as this. Schemes are announced with much fanfare, but when fishers actually get to read the terms and conditions, they quickly realise they are barred from the funding.

Well-maintained marine infrastructure is vital for inshore fishers. They depend on small piers and slipways dotted around the coast and on offshore islands. However, many of these in west Cork and elsewhere are falling into disrepair and lack the most basic amenities. The seafood task force recommended an investment of €80 million over five years into public marine infrastructure. While I welcome the €35 million from the Brexit adjustment reserve for this purpose, this is a once-off investment. There was and is a glaring need for greater multi-annual funding. The seafood task force has provided a clear standard of another €45 million. Regrettably, when I asked a parliamentary question about the budget for 2023, the Minister informed me he was not providing any funding and instead directed me to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. As the Minister knows, it can take years to get a foreshore licence. Anything in respect of which funding is applied for and which also needs a foreshore licence will not get it because it has to be shovel ready. We desperately need to look at the licensing system there, because other countries started from six miles out or one mile out, rather than from the coastline. It is counterintuitive in terms of trying to create more environmental practices. Every time I raise this issue, I am referred from one Department to another and back again. All the time, the need for investment is not being provided.

I have welcomed the news that the National Inshore Fisheries Forum has been recognised as a producer organisation, PO. With this status, it will receive support for its operating costs and the preparation of reports and plans. From the experience of other inshore fishers, there is a clear need for set-up costs also to be funded. There is a steep learning curve and a need for increased capacity on becoming a producer organisation. Will the Minister look into the provision of specific once-off investment for new POs to help them become established? Perhaps it has changed since I last was at a meeting with the islands PO that became a PO months before this one. It was saying it still had not received any kind of funding. Maybe I am wrong and it has since, but it seems like there is a big delay in it being able to carry out its duties as a PO once it gets that status.

There is the ongoing issue of trawling in inshore waters inside the six nautical mile zone. It is having a very negative impact on inshore fishers’ livelihoods, not to mention the knock-on effects on marine activities and the environmental toll that takes. This matter remains with the courts. I have asked the Minister to start the process again to establish another policy directive, which at this stage would have taken less time than the legal route. It is unbelievable that it was only overturned on a technicality, but it is still in place and these harmful practices are still being carried out. The outcome of the judicial review outlines the issues with the original process. Rectify them by establishing a new directive and solve this matter once and for all. I encourage the Minister, and I raised this issue with the Tánaiste last week, to look at existing by-laws because there was pair trawling going on in west Cork last week. It seems there is a by-law, for example, in Bantry Bay, that prevents that practice.

This motion has provided much-needed Dáil time to focus on the inshore sector. In any discussions of our food systems, this is one of the most neglected areas. Unfortunately, this reflects the importance assigned to the sector by the Government. There are thousands of inshore fishers in coastal and island communities across Ireland. In west Cork, they are deeply valued as part of our local economy, providing jobs and fresh seafood for hotels, restaurants and takeaways. They are also part of our marine heritage. This sector is essential to the viability of offshore islands and coastal towns, villages and communities. The Government needs to live up to its commitment to support this sector, quotas need to be distributed proportionately, targeted supports suited to the inshore conditions must be provided, and we need sustained investment in public marine infrastructure. Inshore fishers are continuing to face mounting challenges. There is a glaring need for fairer policies and proper supports. The Government must act.

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