Higher NI fishing quotas welcomed as Brexit looms

A DUP MP has praised the latest set of fish quotas as 'the most fair and reasonable policy in all our time in Europe'.
Kilkeel in Co Down vies with Ardglass as NIs largest fishing harbourKilkeel in Co Down vies with Ardglass as NIs largest fishing harbour
Kilkeel in Co Down vies with Ardglass as NIs largest fishing harbour

Jim Shannon was speaking after it was revealed that new higher EU catch limits have been set for a range of fish in the Irish Sea.

Echoing Mr Shannon, the Anglo North Irish Fish Producers Organisation (ANIFPO), based in Kilkeel, said it was “one of the best results for Northern Ireland’s fishermen in many years”, with some catch limits set at “their highest level in almost 20 years”.

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The catch limit for cod in the Irish Sea had increased by 376%; herring by 70%; haddock by 23%; plaice by 63%; and nephrops (prawns, which ANIFPO describes as “Northern Ireland’s most economically important catch”) by 15%.

No catch limits for any species were lowered.

Officials from the European Commission recommended the proposals, then put them to the council of ministers for approval, which happened at around 7am Brussels time on Wednesday.

Stormont’s agriculture department estimated the extra quotas to be worth £3.6m.

Mr Shannon, MP for Strangford, which covers Portavogie harbour, said: “It is somewhat poignant that in this the last year of the Brussels arrangement affecting our fishermen, it is the most fair and reasonable policy in all our time in Europe. But this simply underlines the unfairness of previous years.”

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He said that “the best is yet to come” for UK fishermen, as “we leave Europe and can control our own sustainable fishing policy”.

Alan McCulla, chief executive of ANIFPO, said: “By increasing the allowable catches for fish stocks, this allows us to carefully diversify some of our trawlers away from their dependence on nephrops.

“This will slowly allow us to rebuild a mixed fishery in the Irish Sea, which was successful in the past both for the sustainability of fish stocks and the economic viability of the industry itself.”

As to why he believes the quotas have been upped, he said he had implored those in charge to “follow the science” when it comes to sustainable fish stocks, and these increases were in line with that.

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Jim Nicholson, UUP MEP, said with particular reference to cod, that “this is a very encouraging increase, and will hopefully ensure a strong foundation to the industry for years to come”.

The announcement also saw changes at a UK-wide level, with higher fishing limits for North Sea cod, Eastern Channel sole, and Bristol Channel plaice.

Following the negotiations in Brussels, Fisheries Minister George Eustice said: “The UK has long championed sustainable fishing and that is starting to yield results in some areas, with a recovery in key stocks and increased quota as a result.”

But Flaminia Tacconi, a lawyer from environmental legal charity ClientEarth, said: “The 2018 fishing quotas mean overfishing continues for many stocks, including several vulnerable ones like whiting off the coast of Scotland and Ireland.”

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In recent years, there have been warnings about fish stocks which are specific to the Irish Sea – an area referred to in technical terms as “Area VIIa”, stretching roughly from Co Waterford to north Antim.

A 2015 Northern Ireland Assembly report said that out of six species it looked at in that area, just one – herring – had “a healthy long term stock”.

Cod in the Irish Sea, for example, was listed as being “outside safe biological limits while not under a long-term plan, or is subject to a scientific advice that there should be no fishing”.

WHAT IS FISHING ACTUALLY WORTH TO US?

Northern Ireland has three main fishing harbours – Ardglass, Kilkeel and Portavogie.

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The latter is relatively small, but over the last several years Ardglass and Kilkeel have vied with one another as to which lands the greatest catch levels.

For 2015, Ardglass landed 4,300 tonnes of fish (worth £5.6m) and Kilkeel landed 5,300 tonnes (worth £8.7m).

In terms of workers, there were just over 700 full-time fishermen in Northern Ireland in 2015, and about another 150 working part-time (numbers which were slightly higher than in the years immediately previous).

Meanwhile, another roughly 500 people worked in processing, marketing, and other related roles full-time, plus another roughly 280 people working part-time.