Donegal Councillor calls for ban of Norwegian fishing vessels from Irish waters

Calls to ban Norwegian fishing vessels from operating in Irish waters have been echoed by a Donegal County Councillor.

Fine Gael Councillor Manus Boyle says he is standing united with Irish fishing represented.

The European Commission is being urged to block Norwegian vessels with local fisheries stuck with limited quotas.

Irish Fish Producers Organisation have said that Ireland’s fishing fleet stands to lose as much as €17 million next year from a proposed mackerel cut.

Councillor Boyle expressed alarm over the disparity in quotas, noting that Norwegian vessels are permitted to catch more than three times the amount of blue whiting in Irish waters than Irish fishermen are allowed.

Councillor Boyle described the sight of Norwegian "armadas" sweeping up fish stocks while Irish vessels remain idle due to the quotas. He says that Irish fishermen are being forced to watch from their ports as foreign vessels deplete the fish stocks in Irish waters.

The Bruckless native says he has been actively lobbying senior politicians in a bid to address what he says is a “grossly unfair” situation that could threaten Ireland’s fishing industry.

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He says that urgent action from government is required or fish stocks could be exhausted - leading to a possible collapse of the industry.

Citing the detrimental impact of mackerel quota cuts on the industry, Councillor Boyle pointed to the Irish Fish Producers Organisation (IFPO), which has called for holding Norway accountable for years of overfishing.

The IFPO claims that Norway’s overfishing has contributed to a 22% reduction in mackerel quotas, as recommended by scientific authorities.

Councillor Boyle says that Killybegs, a key fishing town, is already struggling with the effects of a 26% reduction in mackerel quotas as a result of Brexit negotiations.

“Our time is very limited,” said Councillor Boyle, who believed the Marine sector should have its own dedicated Minister. “Urgent and immediate action must be taken by the Irish Government now.”