“Jobs will be lost unless we get a strategy that works”- Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher
Deputy Pat the Cope Gallagher has called on the Government to set a policy that protects Irelands
ability to land and process Blue Whiting for human consumption, it follows last weekends decision to
call a pierside monitor on a landing of 750 mt of blue whiting that was destined for fish processing in
one of Killybegs fish factories.
“The conclusion was, due to the potential loss of fish quality the landing had to go to fish meal
production instead, this cost up to 50 factory workers a weekend of employment and lost the
factory a valuable export order. It is morally wrong in the current climate to be committing perfectly
good food into fish meal when markets are crying out for fish”
“In addition, due to the restricted working hours applied over the weekend another Blue Whiting
landing refused to come to Killybegs; due to the fact that the Fishery Harbour Centre closed at 6 pm,
the only harbour in Western Europe that works office hours. This is due in large part to the working
hours adopted by the SFPA” added Pat the Cope.“Ireland has led the world in developing the blue whiting for human consumption, we pioneered this
fishery and now due to the recent carryon over the past three years we are destroying our own
success. There is no excuse at any state agency, fish must be landed and quality protected and that
clearly was not possible this weekend.”“Two weeks prior to this landing, another landing of blue whiting was being monitored on the pier
when part of it had to be diverted to fish meal due to the system having broken down due to the
massive pressures of trying to physically undertake a water separation on the pierside. Blue whiting
is a particularly difficult fish to handle, it is soft and vulnerable while being very heavy and severe on
equipment. That is why factory-based systems are more robust, and often use two or three belts to
process instead of the one belt system on the pierside” added Pat the Cope.
Pat the Cope added, “there is only one place where you can undertake the safe and quality assured
location to monitor blue whiting and that is in the factory environment, approximately over 70% of
blue whiting tends to go to fish meal production, there is no reason why the remaining 30% that is
earmarked for human consumption cannot be monitored in a way that protects quality and the
integrity of the fish – after this is not rocket science.”
“Last weekend’s events in Killybegs once again puts focus on how this Port is being managed by the
competent authority and the State cannot stand over the decisions taken therefore action needs to
be taken to safeguard employment in the area, support businesses that are under massive pressures
and protect the ability for Ireland to development a crucially important fishery such as Blue Whiting”
concluded Pat the Cope.
I will, first opportunity, raise the issue with the Marine Minister Timmy Dooley
