Mon Sep 02, 2013 10:28 am
TWO FRENCH FISHING VESSELS HAVE THE SAME QUOTA AS IRELAND’S ENTIRE FLEET
The problems facing the Irish fishing industry have been highlighted by the Chairman of the Irish Fishermen’s Organisation who says that two French-owned vessels fishing Ireland’s West Coast and landing into Castletownbere port in West Cork have a quota for catching monkfish which, between the two of them, is the same as the total catch allowed to the entire Irish Fishing fleet! Ebby Sheehan of the IFO says the situation for the whitefish sector “is getting more insane by the day where almost all species have little quota left, sharing out on a monthly basis only a few boxes of some species to keep fisheries open.” Ireland has a quota of 2,500 tonnes of monkfish, the entire French quota, including the two boats mentioned, is 26,000 tonnes. The French have a quota of 27,000 tonnes of hake, Ireland has 1,700, according to the IFO Chairman.
Mon Sep 02, 2013 4:18 pm
Wed Sep 04, 2013 6:59 pm
fastnet wrote:There is no point in getting upset over quotas...the Irish quota was determined before we joined the EU in 1973.It was based on logged landings at the time,and seeing as the Irish were logging next to nothing,to avoid paying tax,the quotas were allocated accordingly.The Irish government also gave concessions to put lamb on French tables,the agriculture minister and fisheries minister being the same man.No point in fishermen crying now..they only have themselves to blame!