Too much Irish quota being landed outside State leading to a scarcity of supply in Irish fish processing plants – IFPEA.
– The loss of 38,904.12 tonnes of Irish quota, an increase of 28% in one year is a loss of jobs and economic activity to our coastal communities –
IFPEA is calling on the Department of Marine to conduct an examination into why so much Irish quota is being landed outside the state at a time of a deepening crises in the Irish processing sector. There is a clear need to establish why this is happening and to deal with any underlying issues that make so much quota leave the country at a time of sacristy of supply into every single Irish fish processing plant.
Recently published 2024 data from the SFPA webpage state that 38,904.12 tonnes of Irish quota was landed outside the state into other countries, with the exception of 1,951.07 tonnes landed in to Ondarroa Spain, which is primarily the Albacore Tuna quota; there is very little excuse or grounds for the remaining 36,953.05 tonnes of Irish quota being put beyond the reach of Irish fish processing plants.
Landings of Irish quota outside the state has increased by 28% since 2023 and are now at record levels. The top four of the listed destinations for Irish quota to be landed into are; Denmark 11,702 tonnes, Norway 9,382 tonnes, Faroe Islands 6,194 tonnes and the United Kingdom 5,788 tonnes with the other destinations making up the balance.
Minister for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Timmy Dooley needs to immediately examine the root causes for the loss of so much quota at this critical time, this study would need to examine the reasons why Irish vessels have taken the decision to land elsewhere, at a time when premium prices are being paid at home for these stocks. This study would then need to go further and examine why over 50% of foreign vessels also decided to no longer consider Ireland as a destination for landing fish into. Unless Ireland deals with the root causes as a priority, then this situation will only worsen in time, and at present the processing sector is facing an escalating crisis since 2017.
Since 2020, Ireland has lost too much in terms of landings and this needs to be looked at and a business-friendly model and a more welcoming approach needs to be developed for all the ports around the coast – this can only be done by way of a proactive and progressive approach by our Department in addressing the underlying issues and potential problems that is causing this.
Brendan Byrne, added there is a complete lack of any coherence or direction in policy towards the fish processing sector in Ireland for the past number of years, and a much more fundamental discussion needs to take place as to where we are heading as a state in regard to the 4,000 jobs that depend on a functioning Irish fish processing sector.
Irish fish processors have invested over €105 million of their own resources in the past 4 years alone in their businesses; this investment was made by them in the post Brexit climate when the challenges were at their greatest. That scale of investment by them was a vote of confidence by them in the future, now we need to invest and recalibrate Ireland Inc. and make it a destination once more for landing fish into for processing and marketing. A place where you can do business without hassle or disruption concluded Brendan Byrne
