Sinn Féin TD for Waterford and Chair of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, Conor D. McGuinness, today met with European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, in Cork, where he raised a series of issues of critical importance to Ireland’s fishing industry and coastal communities.
The meeting took place during the July Agriculture and Fisheries Council, being hosted in Cork as part of Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The meeting was also attended by Deputy Pat ‘The Cope’ Gallagher in his capacity as Fisheries Committee vice-chair.
Deputy McGuinness criticised the political row between the two Government parties which overshadowed the event, following efforts by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to sideline the Minister of State with responsibility for Fisheries. He also expressed disappointment that the official programme did not include formal engagement with fishermen or representatives of Ireland’s fishing industry.
McGuinness said:
“I made it clear to Commissioner Kadis that the Common Fisheries Policy, as it currently operates, is manifestly unjust to Ireland. For decades, Irish fishermen have been denied a fair share of the resources in their own waters, with the consequences felt in every coastal community around our country.”
“The fact that Belgium, with a coastline shorter than that of County Waterford alone, has access to larger quotas for some species in Irish waters than the entire Irish fishing fleet is a stark illustration of how badly the system has failed Ireland. That historic injustice must be addressed as part of the next reform of the Common Fisheries Policy.”
“Commissioner Kadis told me he intends to pursue targeted reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. That is welcome, but the real test will be whether those reforms are meaningful. Everyone with an interest in the future of Ireland’s fishing industry must work to ensure they deliver a fairer deal for Irish fishermen and our coastal communities.”
“I also raised the issue of quota allocation and the role the European Commission must play in ensuring a genuinely level playing field for Ireland during annual quota negotiations. Irish fishermen deserve a fair deal and a system that properly reflects the importance of our waters and our fishing communities.”
“I pressed the case for greater flexibility in EU State aid rules so that Ireland can introduce income stabilisation and income support schemes for inshore fishermen during periods of exceptional hardship, including measures such as those proposed by the National Inshore Fishermen’s Association. Coastal communities cannot be expected to absorb repeated shocks without appropriate support.”
“I also raised the need to improve access to European funding for Ireland’s aquaculture sector. Aquaculture has enormous potential to support employment and sustainable economic development in our coastal communities, but operators must be able to access the funding available to help the sector grow and modernise.”
“Commissioner Kadis was willing to listen to the perspective of Ireland’s fishing industry and to engage constructively with me, as Chair of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, on the challenges facing the sector. I look forward to continuing that engagement to ensure the voices of Irish fishermen are heard at European level.”