NI fishing industry ‘optimistic that Brexit means more fish and more jobs’

Harry Wick, CEO of the NI Fish Producers Organisation, was speaking to the News Letter as the UK negotiates with the EU on Brexit implementation. The EU is insisting on maintaining all their current fishing rights.

“The current situation is hugely in their favour but at the end of the day it has been grossly unfair on the Northern Ireland and wider UK fleets for almost 40 years,” he said.

He cites a number of examples which he believes prove his point;-

• ”70% of the Irish Sea is in UK waters, yet UK boats can only catch 30% of the cod.

• ”France and Spain claim 25% of prawns in our area without any real justification. 

• “Belgiam claim 5% of Haddock in the Irish Sea - but it is 500 miles from Belfast.

•”The English Channel is fifty-fifty in UK-EU waters yet the UK is only allowed 11% of the Cod from it”.

He adds: “92% of UK fishermen voted for Brexit so that gives some idea of how strongly they feel about this.”

The UK is pressing for “Zonal Attachments” which allocates fish to nations depending on where the fish live.

EU claims are based on what they say are historical fishering patterns in UK waters since the 1970s.

Mr Wick this needs to be updated on sustainability grounds but also because “UK public resources should be for the benefit of the UK”. However he says some approved EU fishing in UK waters could be allowed.

Both sides appear to be “very entrenched”. But Mr Wick understands that the UK will not leave fishermen out on a limb in the talks.

“Without an agreement on fishing it is my understanding that there can’t be any broader deal on Brexit.”

The NI industry currently employs 2000 people centred around Ardglass, Portavogie and Kilkeel. He believes a larger share of the Irish Sea fish could lead to job expansion in NI.

”We are very excited about some of the opportunities that a boost in what we could catch could bring.”

Yesterday the UK offered the EU a three-year transition period for EU fleets to adapt to post-Brexit changes.

An EU spokesman responded by highlighting recent comments by EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier. He said that since the start of talks the UK has “not shown any willingness to seek compromises on fisheries”.

But he said this would “lock out” Republic of Ireland fishermen from waters they fished before the Republic or the UK joined the EEC, as well as excluding other EU fleets.

The EU “will not accept” the livelihoods of its fishermen being used as “a bargaining chip”, he said.

“Without a long-term, fair and sustainable solution on fisheries, there will simply be no new economic partnership with the UK.”

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