Interview: Minister Charlie McConalogue turns tide back on marine critics

Charlie McConalogue has launched a robust defence of his work for Ireland's fisheries.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine believes that fishing ports such as Killybegs - beleaguered in many ways and reeling from the impact of Brexit on an often-troubled sector – have untapped, unlimited even, potential.

The Donegal Deputy has been subjected to criticism from across various strands of the marine industry, but following a public meeting in Killybegs on Thursday night, McConalogue insists that his endeavours will stand up to analysis.

Around 150 people attended the meeting to cover a broad range of topics with fisheries, naturally in Ireland's premier fishing port, the main bone of contention.

Several walked out in a form of protest before the meeting began and others left during it. All, though, was not how it was portrayed, the Minister declared.

“A lot of stuff that is said on social media stands up to no scrutiny,” McConalogue told Donegal Live.

“I find the biggest noises on social media adopt all strategies possible to make sure that they don't have to stand up to their social media posts in real life.

“I took maybe six or seven questions from the floor and any question that was put to me, there were over 100 people who had knowledge of the industry and could have put forward a counter-argument.

“Certain people don't want to be exposed and they are afraid because they won't stand up to scrutiny themselves.”

McConalogue was at pains to outline the strain that Brexit has placed on Ireland's marine trade, with Killybegs feeling a larger effect than most.

Those employed off the south Donegal port continue to fight, as the old Tommy Makem tune goes, to take their living from the sea.

McConalogue pointed out that he was a steadfast opponent of Brexit.

“Thankfully for our own economy in Ireland it wasn't as damaging as it might have been, but Killybegs has suffered significantly,” he said.

“The local deputy in Killybegs, Thomas Pringle, was a strong advocate of Britain and Northern Ireland doing Brexit. I remember a debate on Highland Radio where he and Gregory Campbell MP were strongly advocating Brexit.

“We have seen what the advocacy for Brexit has meant for Killybegs.

“We have worked as hard as we could as a country to avoid the impact of Brexit being as severe as it might have been. It has been my work for three and a half years to try to support, in every way possible, the sector in dealing with the undoubted impact that it has.”

In March 2021, Minister McConalogue set up the Seafood Sector Task Force to examine the implications for the Irish Fishing industry and coastal communities.

“They came up with a report and we have followed through and delivered on each and every recommendation,” he said. “We have made sure that no part of that has gathered dust.

“That Brexit Taskforce recommended 13 schemes that should be funded through the Brexit Adjustment Reserve Fund. Since then, I have stepped forward and delivered and implemented all 13 schemes.

“Over the last couple of years, we have seen over €33 million invested from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve Fund through the processing sector, to help mitigate the impact of quotas on the pelagic sector, or the tie-up schemes.”

Killybegs, he pointed out, has received 'significant grant aid', with €33million invested and a further €32million, including a recent €5million allocation, going to the Killybegs Fishery Harbour Centre while the Smooth Point Pier extension will open later in 2024.

Fishing quotas remain a thorny subject, one that is divisive in the extreme.

McConalogue believes that his stance in Europe has prevented Iceland from gaining access to Irish waters.

“We made it clear that, given the fact that any access Iceland would be looking for would be into Irish waters, waters that are part of the EU waters, that if there were to be any negotiations, any fish that was coming would have to be coming to Ireland,” he said.

“That was a bottom line in relation to how any fisheries negotiations would proceed, and we took that very hard line when it came to those negotiations.

“Other member states were not willing to agree in the event of increased access to Iceland that Ireland would get a higher quota as a result of that. And because of that I held the line and said ‘no’.

“I will not be agreeing to any mandate for the EU to do any negotiations with Iceland under those circumstances because our waters and access to our waters has to be respected. As a result of that there has been no deal with Iceland and there has been no mandate given to the European Commission to negotiate or conclude a deal with Iceland.

“I brought all of our fishing stakeholders and fishing representatives together to consult, engage and lay out our hard lines about what course we would be taking to those negotiations.”

Norway's access to Irish waters has reduced, he says, 'therefore improving the Irish quota as a result'.

“Each year, I have reduced the access that Norway has had,” he said.

“I am working to try and improve the situation in relation to the fisheries we have.

“We put Norway out altogether of the Irish box – they can no longer fish in the Irish box. We have also significantly reduced the level of transfer of blue whiting quota to Norway, meaning that Ireland has secured an additional share of blue whiting for our national fleet to fish.”

He firmly batted away suggestions that he was 'hoodwinked' in talks over mackerel quotas transferred from Denmark.

The 4,300 tonnes of mackerel fished, he said, represents 'a permanent allocation of additional mackerel quota for the Irish fleet, rather than a once-off transfer of quota'.

He said: “There is ongoing work and engagement at European level in terms of the extra quotas. We targeted a quota the Danish had fished and that has resulted in 4,300 tonnes this year being fished in Killybegs that wouldn't otherwise have been had. That amounts to an added value of €9million in additional income for Killybegs.

“The most recent mackerel gains made at the Fisheries Council meeting secured the first permanent increase in mackerel for Ireland since the Common Fisheries Policy was established in the 1980s. That doesn't negate what Britain made off with, but it does represent the ongoing efforts and works to try and improve the situation at each and every opportunity.

“We have seen 15 per cent of our quota reallocated to the UK as part of that final deal coming out of Brexit.

“Brexit is not something that I controlled. I canvassed against the lack of wisdom of that decision, as did many others – bar the Killybegs Deputy, I might add.

“When you look at our country, therefore, and Killybegs being at the centre of the fishing industry – the industry that has been most impacted – it really has taken the brunt.

“We have supported the massive ecosystem around fisheries and engineering. We see further development for Killybegs, which is central for the future of off-shore developments, particularly in the area of renewable energy. Central to that is infrastructure.”