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‘No-deal Brexit’ would be unmitigated disaster for Irish fisheries

12/20/2018

KFO extremely concerned at consequences of potential Hard Brexit

Following publication of the Irish Government’s ‘contingency action plan’ for a no-deal Brexit, the Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation (KFO) has warned that the ramifications of such an outcome in March next would be apocalyptic for the Irish industry.
KFO Chief Executive, Seán O’Donoghue stated: “Ireland’s two biggest fisheries, mackerel (60%) and nephrops / prawns (40%) are massively dependent on access to UK waters with the overall percentage of stocks currently fished from UK waters by the Irish fleet standing at more than 30%. We cannot countenance a situation whereby this access might stop at 11pm on March 29th next due to a hard Brexit.
“Whereas fish are mobile and know no borders nor bear any nationality, our trawlers don’t have this luxury and must obey boundaries and exclusion zones. Our industry is standing on the edge of a precipice and everything that we have strived for and developed for generations is staring into the abyss. Page 53 of the Government’s contingency plan states that ‘A critical issue for the fisheries sector in Ireland, and a number of other EU Member States, is the maintenance of reciprocal access to fisheries waters and resources.’
“While we had been quite encouraged by the first tranche of documents delivered by the negotiating teams and subsequently approved by the UK cabinet last month, we are now very concerned in light of more recent developments – or lack of developments - in the UK that there is a real possibility of a hard Brexit. We are talking about a €1.15 billion Irish seafood sector which sustains 14,500 jobs here,” concluded Mr O’Donoghue.
Only this week, the European Council of Fisheries Ministers, in reaching agreement for the 2019 fishing opportunities, made a clear and unequivocal statement that TAC and quota arrangements apply for the entire 2019 calendar year, irrespective of what happens with Brexit. However should Britain’s House of Commons fail to agree a deal, all this is rendered null and void.
ENDS
Further information:
Seán O’Donoghue
(087) 4196535

KFO welcomes 30% increase in whitefish quotas for North West fishermen

12/18/2018

Workable solution found for ‘Landing Obligation’

The Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation has acknowledged the outcome of the Council of Fisheries Ministers, which finished early this morning, as generally positive in the circumstances with a workable solution adopted to the landing obligation thus avoiding the potential for early closures of a large number of fisheries. However, its CEO, Seán O’Donoghue said it again underlines the imperative to have guarantees around fisheries honoured with Brexit continuing to cause major turbulence in the industry.
Achieving an overall increase of 30% in whitefish quota, including Rockall Haddock (+92%), and monkfish (25 %) in for the North West will provide improved fishing opportunities for whitefish fishermen in Donegal. There are also significant increases in Haddock (+20%) Cod (+16%) and sole 394% in the Irish Sea and Haddock (+20%), Hake (+28%) and Megrims (+47%) in the Celtic Sea. Mr O’Donoghue welcomed these as “very significant wins and reflects the importance of the industry working towards an overall sustainable outcome for the sector.”
Commenting at the conclusion of the Council in Brussels this morning, Mr O’Donoghue said: “These were without doubt the most challenging negotiations which Irish fisheries have ever faced, since a hard Brexit potentially throws everything we have agreed into disarray. Of major concern to the KFO and the wider industry, was the landing obligation which will enter its final phase on the 1st January 2019 when all species subject to TACs and quotas become subject to Article 15 of the Common Fisheries Policy. The Implementation of the landing obligation, as laid out in the Commission’s proposals, would have had large negative consequences for Ireland’s whitefish and pelagic sectors as the “choke species” factor could have triggered the closure of most fisheries in the early months of 2019. The prospect of “choke species” paralysing the Irish fishing industry was a very credible threat with knock-on effects for a vast array of sustainable fisheries, hitherto able to function normally, being caught in the slip-stream. I am glad to say the Council has adopted a workable solution to the “choke” situation with the allocation of by catch quotas to the Member States for the five stocks where a zero TAC was set.
“In terms of pelagic quota, there are increases in western horse mackerel 18% and Atlanto Scandia herring 35%. It was not all good news as there is a 20% reduction in mackerel which we knew in advance of Council as it was agreed by EU/Norway/ Faroes at the end of last month. Unfortunately, this 20% reduction is based on what I firmly believe is erroneous scientific advice. The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) advice stated this fishery had been declining since 2011 which is contrary to the entire fishing industry view. This is yet another major mistake in the mackerel advice not to mention the mistakes made last year and again this year on Atlanto Scandia herring. I am very concerned that ICES does not have a fit-for-purpose quality assurance system in place. This must be addressed as matter of urgency. There have been far too many mistakes over the last number of years and it is undermining confidence in the scientific advice. At least, ICES has now agreed to carry out a re-evaluation of the mackerel advice in early 2019,” said Mr O’Donoghue.
“The reduction of 32 % in nephrops in area VII is large but is partly mitigated somewhat by the exemption from the landing obligation. Taking this into account the reduction is in line with scientific advice of 17%.
“I would like to recognise the role and commitment of Minister Creed and his officials in working closely with us, taking on board our concerns and delivering a sustainable and economically viable package of measures for 2019,” concluded Mr O’Donoghue.

ENDS
Further information:
Seán O'Donoghue
087 4196535

Brexit uncertainty casts dark shadow over Quota Negotiations for Irish fisheries

12/16/2018

Full implementation of landing obligation major issue for Fisheries Council

The Chief Executive of the Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation (KFO) has expressed his concern ahead of the annual meeting of the Council of Fisheries Ministers that a sector already reeling from the chaos surrounding Brexit could now face further serious challenges and potential hardship. The negotiations to set Total Allowable Catches (TACs) and quotas for 2019 take place in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday next (December 17th and 18th). The all-too-real possibility of a hard Brexit and the potential subsequent implications for fisheries after March 29th, 2019 has cast a very dark shadow over these Fisheries Council quota negotiations.
Guarantees for 2019
KFO Chief Executive, Seán O’Donoghue commented: “While we had been quite encouraged by the first tranche of documents delivered by the negotiating teams and subsequently approved by the UK cabinet, we are now very concerned in light of developments in the UK that there is a real possibility of a hard Brexit after March 29th. It is crucial that the Council, in reaching agreement for the 2019 fishing opportunities make a clear and unequivocal statement that these arrangements apply for the entire 2019 calendar year, irrespective of what happens with Brexit.
“Ireland’s two biggest fisheries, mackerel (60%) and nephrops / prawns (40%) are hugely dependent on access to UK waters with the overall dependency for all stocks of over 30%. We cannot countenance a situation whereby this access might stop on 30th March 2019 due to a hard Brexit. It is incumbent on Council to ensure that this will not happen and I am calling on Minister Creed to make this a priority during the negotiations. For us, the crucial issue remains that the linkage between access and resources to the wider trade issue be at the heart of a post Brexit arrangements for Irish fisheries sector thereby delivering an outcome which is acceptable to us.”
Landing Obligation
Of major concern to the KFO and the wider industry, is the landing obligation which will enter its final phase in 2019 when all species subject to TACs and quotas become subject to Article 15 of the Common Fisheries Policy. The prospect of “choke species” paralysing the Irish fishing industry is a very credible threat with knock-on effects for a vast array of sustainable fisheries, hitherto able to function normally, being caught in the slip-stream.
Mr O’Donoghue continued: “Implementation of the landing obligation, as laid out in the Commission’s proposals, will have large negative consequences for Ireland’s whitefish and pelagic sectors as the “choke species” factor could trigger closure of most fisheries in the early months of 2019. There is a significant risk of such closures extending to valuable pelagic fisheries due the whitefish by-catches. It is not acceptable or economically sustainable for entire sectors of these fleets to tie-up for such long periods and would have disastrous knock-on effects for the processing industry, markets at home and abroad as well as peripheral fishing communities. The solution on the table at the moment of unallocated by-catch TACs will only lead to “Olympic fishing” and the early closures of sustainable fisheries.”
Proposed cuts to key stocks
Nephrops in area 7 is the second most important economic species after mackerel for Ireland. The Commission’s proposal is for a 32% reduction which is significantly more than the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) advice. It takes no account of differential percentage uptake by the Member States or the socio-economic implications of such a huge reduction. Furthermore, the separate TAC on Porcupine nephrops should be removed as this stock unit is in a healthy state.
Just last month, the EU, Norway and Faroes signed a tripartite agreement setting the TAC for mackerel for 2019 at 653,438 tonnes - a 20% reduction on this year’s TAC. While the KFO was disappointed, it wasn’t surprised at the outcome given that the scientific advice issued at the end of September was recommending a much larger reduction of 61%.
Mackerel and ICES
Regarding the mackerel outcome, Mr O’Donoghue said “I am confident the scientific advice is incorrect and that there still is a very healthy mackerel stock in the North East Atlantic contrary to the ICES advice which states it has been declining since 2011. This is yet another major mistake in the mackerel advice not to mention the mistakes made last year and again this year on Atlanto Scandia herring. I am very concerned that ICES does not have a fit-for-purpose quality assurance system in place. This must be addressed as matter of urgency. There have been far too many mistakes over the last number of years and it is undermining confidence in the scientific advice. At least, ICES has now agreed to carry out a re-evaluation of the mackerel advice in early 2019.”
The KFO expects, as in previous years, after the usual battles - particularly with the newly proposed by-catches where a zero TAC has been set - with other Member States that ‘The Hague Preferences’ which see Ireland and the UK getting elevated quotas for a number of key species when reductions are proposed - will be delivered. The loss of these allocations in 2019 would amount to 1,222 tonnes of fish with a direct value of €2.4 million.
The KFO will be meeting Minister Creed and his advisers in Brussels ahead of the talks and indeed, on a regular basis during the Fisheries Council negotiations to support his endeavours to deliver the best deal possible in terms of sustainable and economically viable fishing opportunities for Ireland for 2019.
ENDS
Further information:
Seán O’Donoghue
(087) 4196535

‘No-deal Brexit’ would be unmitigated disaster for Irish fisheries

KFO extremely concerned at consequences of potential Hard Brexit

KFO welcomes 30% increase in whitefish quotas for North West fishermen

Brexit uncertainty casts dark shadow over Quota Negotiations for Irish fisheries

KFO News

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‘No-deal Brexit’ would be unmitigated disaster for Irish fisheries

​KFO extremely concerned at consequences of potential Hard Brexit ​

KFO welcomes 30% increase in whitefish quotas for North West fishermen

Brexit uncertainty casts dark shadow over Quota Negotiations for Irish fisheries

KFO News

Archives

Categories

KFO extremely concerned at consequences of potential Hard Brexit