Robert O'Donoghue (Dublin Fingal West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am thankful for the opportunity to speak on this issue that is vital not only for our coastal communities but to our national identity. I refer to the future of fishing in Ireland. Once the backbone of coastal communities, the fishing industry is now facing shrinking incomes, rising costs and dwindling fish stocks. At the same time, our oceans are coming under increasing pressure from overfishing, pollution and climate change. Marine life is disappearing faster than we can protect it and the health of the entire ecosystem is under serious threat. How do we balance this? How can we support the hard-working people who depend on the sea for their income to live and to feed their families while also ensuring the sea itself can be protected? The answer lies in striking the right balance between livelihoods and sustainability, tradition and innovation and economic needs and environmental responsibility.

Fishing is more than just a job in this country. It is a way of life passed down from generation to generation. For many Irish fishing families, the sea runs in their blood. Important skills learned and handed down, like how to read the tides, mend nets and respect the unpredictable mood of the sea, can get lost. It is a heritage, a tradition, a career and a vocation all rolled into one, but that legacy is now hanging in jeopardy. Despite our island being surrounded by some of the richest fishing waters on earth, the very people who have fished these waters for centuries are now being forced out of the industry. Why is this? It is because of a destructive combination of spiralling costs, suffocating regulations, a lack of political vision and meaningful support at home. Under the Common Fisheries Policy, Irish fishermen are allocated some of the smallest quotas in our own waters. Our fleets are effectively fishing under restriction in the waters they should be thriving in.

It is hard to overstate how demoralising this is for the men and women who live on the sea and rely on it for their livelihoods. Fishing has become increasingly unworkable. In recent years, we have seen a dramatic fall in the number of young people who want to pursue a career in fishing. Why would they want that path forward when it is so uncertain? Regulations pile up and there are no incentives to get started. There is no clear vision for the industry and no support to help them to climb the ladder. Initiatives like the young fishers scheme have been introduced with good intentions, but we must ask ourselves if they work. The numbers would suggest otherwise. Since Brexit and the pandemic, many boats are simply being decommissioned and sold. The cost of owning and operating fishing boats today is spiralling out of control. Fuel, insurance and maintenance all add up. With quotas so low, many fishermen cannot even catch enough fish to cover their costs. They are living year-to-year and fighting just to stay afloat. Many of our experienced fishers are now nearing retirement. Their knowledge and skills, honed over decades, are at risk of being lost forever. With few young people entering the industry, the future of Irish fishing hangs in the balance.

We are an island nation with a renewable food source all around us. Fish is one of the most sustainable proteins on the planet. Yet instead of building a thriving modern industry, we are watching it fade because of bureaucracy, lack of promotion and the absence of meaningful leadership. There is no serious campaign to promote fishing as a viable and proud career choice. There is no roadmap to train young workers or to help them to afford a vessel. Instead, they face red tape, debt and instability, so it is no wonder so many of them are walking away or never considering the sector in the first place. From net to fork it is a constant struggle.

Fishing communities love what they do and take pride in their work. While they want to comply with regulations, protect the marine environment and contribute to climate goals, they are swimming against the tide. We urgently need reform of the quota system. We need investment, apprenticeships and infrastructure that will allow fishing communities to survive and thrive. We need to recognise fishing as a strategic natural resource instead of an afterthought in EU negotiations. Above all, we must ensure the next generation sees a future in the industry. If we do not act soon, the question many fishing communities will ask, and are already asking, is whether there will still be a fishing industry in ten years. I feel there may not be.

Under the leadership of the former Minister of State with responsibility in this area, Senator Malcolm Noonan, the marine protected areas Bill was a vital step towards safeguarding Ireland’s marine biodiversity and meeting our international obligations to protect 30% of our maritime area by 2030. This critical Bill seems to have stalled, however, in the agendas of both the previous Government and the current one. We need to advocate for its passage into legislation. We must recognise that strong enforcement protections for our seas are essential for ecological resilience and the long-term sustainability of Ireland’s coastal communities and marine economy. I echo the calls of environmental organisations like FairSeas and coastal stakeholders who were in the audiovisual room on Tuesday. I urge the Government to prioritise this Bill and to ensure that, at the very least, the necessary tweaks will be made without further delay.

The science is clear and public support is strong. Ireland must act now to preserve our maritime ecosystems before it is too late. The Taoiseach stated this week while attending the third UN Ocean Conference that Ireland has an opportunity to become a leader in global protection. The European ocean pact sets out a framework for a bolder EU-wide commitment to restore the marine ecosystems, grow a sustainable blue economy, support coastal communities and strengthen science, security and diplomacy, but Ireland needs to create national legislation. Finalising and enacting the marine protected areas Bill are crucial steps towards protecting our future. We should stand fully behind it. We could champion this through our 2026 EU Presidency.

I fully support the Save our Sprat campaign, whose representatives were also present in the audiovisual room on Tuesday. The campaign calls for action to address the unregulated and unsustainable exploitation of sprat in Irish inshore waters. Currently, approximately 30 trawlers are legally harvesting sprat, a forage fish that forms the foundation of the marine food chain, but no formal management plan or conservation measures are in place. Although this activity is technically legal, it is ecologically reckless. Sprat is a key prey species for whales, dolphins, seabirds and larger fish like cod and mackerel. Removing sprat on an industrial scale, especially so close to shore, threatens the balance of the entire marine ecosystem. This overfishing is driven in large part by demand from the salmon farming industry. Short-term gain must not come at long-term collapse. If we strip our seas of sprat, we risk cascading impacts on the food web, including the collapse of native fish stocks, biodiversity loss and the degradation of coastal livelihoods. Ireland urgently needs a science-based management plan for sprat to ensure ecosystems are protected rather than plundered. We can only support a sustainable fishing industry and protect marine biodiversity if we stop ignoring the ecological warning signs. In the face of climate change and ecological breakdown, we must act with urgency and courage. I call on the Government and the Minister of State to immediately introduce conservation measures for sprat, restrict industrial inshore trawling and ensure marine policy is guided by science and not short-term profits. We can restore our ocean health while supporting a sustainable fishing industry by working together for a manageable solution.

I highlight the work of my colleague and party leader, Deputy Bacik, on the Dublin Bay Bill. This legislation would go a long way in protecting biodiversity, enhancing water quality and restoring and regenerating amenities all along the coastline.

See this speech in context