Collins: Government presiding over the decimation of Irish fishing industry
"Government has completely failed Irish Fishing, they stand idly by as Britain, Denmark, Norway and the Faroes are reaping the benefit while our own fish processing plants are left idle"
Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins TD has accused the Government of standing idly by while Ireland’s fishing industry is being “decimated” following the latest revelation that almost 39,000 tonnes of Irish quota was landed abroad last year instead of into Irish ports.
Deputy Collins was responding to figures published by the Irish Fish Processors and Exporters Association (IFPEA), which show that landings of Irish quota outside the State increased by 28 per cent in just one year. The IFPEA warned this is fuelling a crisis in the processing sector, leaving plants starved of supply and threatening thousands of jobs in coastal communities.
“This is an appalling situation,” Deputy Collins said. “Nearly 39,000 tonnes of Irish quota has been taken beyond our shores – with Denmark, Norway, the Faroes and Britain reaping the benefit while our own fish processing plants are left idle. That represents a massive loss of jobs, income and investment in communities that are already under severe pressure.”
The Cork South-West TD said the Government has “completely failed” the industry.
“Our fishing industry is being decimated while the Government sits back and does nothing. Since 2020, Ireland has been losing ground at a frightening pace, and now even Irish vessels are choosing to land abroad. The fact that more than half of foreign vessels have stopped considering Ireland as a landing destination shows just how uncompetitive and unwelcoming our system has become.”
Deputy Collins backed calls by IFPEA chief executive Brendan Byrne for the Minister for Fisheries, Timmy Dooley, to urgently investigate the causes of the losses.
“There must be a root-and-branch examination into why Irish quota is not being landed here, why vessels are turning their backs on Irish ports, and what measures are needed to restore Ireland as a viable and attractive landing destination. Anything less will be seen as abandonment of a sector that sustains 4,000 direct jobs and countless more in dependent industries,” Collins said.
He also highlighted the €105 million in private investment by Irish processors since 2020.
“That scale of investment shows their confidence in the future. But that confidence is being eroded every day by the lack of coherent policy, by red tape, and by a Government that seems to have no plan for survival, never mind growth, in this industry. Unless urgent action is taken, we are facing the permanent hollowing out of our coastal communities.”
Deputy Collins concluded:
“This is a national crisis. Our fish, our quotas, and our jobs are leaving our shores. The Minister must act now – before it is too late.”
