Dr William McCrea MP MLA
Chairperson, Committee for
Agriculture and Rural
Development
Parliament Buildings
Stormont
Belfast
BT4 3XX
Rt. Hon Hilary Benn MP
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs
DEFRA
Noble House
17 Smith Square
London
SW1P 3JR
1 December 2008
Dear Secretary of State
NORTHERN IRELAND FISHING INDUSTRY
The Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development, a statutory Committee in the Northern Ireland Assembly, has recently received evidence from the Anglo North Irish Fish Producers Organisation in respect of the on-going EU December Fisheries Council negotiations. The proposals being discussed, if implemented, would have a devastating effect on the Northern Ireland fleet, particularly those cuts proposed in respect of nephrops. This would have a further catastrophic impact on the communities that have built themselves up around our fishing ports.
The commercial fishing industry in Northern Ireland is concentrated around the three County Down villages of Ardglass, Kilkeel and Portavogie. The industry has traditionally been the major employer in these communities, with just over 1,000 people employed at sea and onshore. These villages have not been immune to the current global economic recession. Kilkeel, the largest of the three communities has seen over 130 redundancies since the beginning of November. To date the fishing industry has continued to recruit employees.
Like the rest of the UK’s fishing industry, the Northern Ireland industry has had to cope with significant challenges these past few years. There is broad agreement that fish stocks need to be managed in a way that secures their long term sustainability within the marine environment, while ensuring the viability of the fishing industry itself. So far as Europe is concerned, cod recovery measures were started in the Irish Sea in the year 2000. On the 6 th April 2000 the then EU Fisheries Commissioner Mr Fischler commended all of those, including the fishermen, who had participated in the process that led to the introduction of various cod recovery measures that were applied to the Irish Sea. There have now been nine temporary spring spawning closures in the Irish Sea, which together with the variety of other measures applied have had a dramatic impact on the local fishing fleet. Cod Recovery was extended to other EU waters a few years after the Irish Sea.
Within the UK context it is to some extent understandable why issues relating to the North Sea or the South-West approaches might take priority. The Committee has seen the list of UK priorities and other objectives for the autumn 2008 Fisheries negotiations. It is regrettable that as our Committee has heard this, together with the earlier decisions, has created the perception amongst Northern Irish fishermen that the Irish Sea has become a fisheries management “back water”. In order to secure the fisheries management objectives mentioned above this perception must be corrected.
The Committee has heard from representatives of our industry about the pro-active approach they continue to take with regard to fisheries management in the Irish Sea. The Irish Sea Data Enhancement Programme, which was secured at the December 2006 EU Fisheries Council is an example of how local fishermen are prepared to work with fisheries scientists in an endeavour designed to identify the specific situation with regard to fish stocks in local waters. Hopefully this can be continued into 2009.
However, as we approach the EU’s December Fisheries Council, the Committee requests your assurance that the issues affecting all UK fishermen working in the Irish Sea are given equal priority with fishermen from throughout our islands. It is regrettable that only last week the EC forced through another decision that could see yet another significant reduction in the days the fleet is allowed to spend at sea in the Irish Sea, despite reservations from you and your Ministerial colleagues from the other UK Fisheries Administrations.
In addition we understand that the EC have made proposals for TAC cuts with Irish Sea cod, nephrops, plaice, whiting, sole and herring. There is positive news with haddock. The Committee requests your help to ensure these cuts are minimised. The Committee is advised that the science for nephrops (by far our most important fishery), plaice and herring does not support the kind of reductions the EC have proposed. There is also strong scientific evidence that the Douglas Box herring closure can be abolished.
This year landings of cod from the Irish Sea have increased. This stock, along with plaice and whiting is subject to The Hague Preference system, which in the Irish Sea benefits fishermen from the Republic of Ireland. Again we must request that as UK Minister you encourage your counterpart from the Republic of Ireland to agree to the traditional quota swaps that have gone some way to temper the quota reductions for our fishermen, which would be much worse if Ireland did not swap the quotas back to the UK.
Finally, as you enter what is a critical time of year for our fishing industry, there is no doubt that you have an unenviable task. The Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development offers you their support in these negotiations and places our industry’s trust in you to deliver a fair deal that will enable the Northern Ireland fleet to support themselves, their families and their community.
Yours faithfully