Tag Archives: Marine Minister Charlie McConalogue
Danish letter shows Charlie McConalogue was ‘hoodwinked’ in mackerel wars, say fishermen
Minister for Marine Charlie McConalogue failed to take up an offer by Denmark to resolve a long-running row with Ireland over mackerel, which could have been worth almost €10m to the Irish fleet over two years. The offer, in a letter from Danish Minister for Fisheries Jacob Jensen, amounted to a transfer of 3,000 tonnes of mackerel to Ireland for two years, “without prejudice” to a long-term solution to the dispute. Instead, at December’s meeting of the Fisheries Council, Ireland appears to have been outmanoeuvred into accepting a permanent deal in Denmark’s favour, with a fraction of the share going to Ireland. more, >>click to read<< 08:14
Ireland’s Regulator in Eye of Storm Over Weighing System
An Irish parliamentary committee may summon the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) before it to explain its weighing system, reports Lorna Siggins. This follows a recent parliamentary (Oireachtas) agriculture, food and marine committee debate when Independent TD for Cork South-West Michael Collins called for an independent review of the current system run by the SFPA. Collins referred to a “crisis” in the system and quoted from an Irish Examiner newspaper report, which claimed that a recording system initiated by the SFPA in December 2022 may be flawed and that 40% of by-catch sampling could be out by as much as 80%. >>click to read<< 09:21
Dunmore East designated as landing port for UK vessels
Dunmore East has been redesignated as a Fisheries Landing Port for UK and Northern Irish fishing vessels. Marine Minister Charlie McConalogue signed the Statutory Instrument allowing the vessels to land in the county Waterford village. On Friday, March 3rd, a UK-registered boat requested permission from the Irish authorities to enter the local harbour after suffering a mechanical problem. However, the captain received a reply instructing them to go to Howth instead. Despite this, the vessel entered Dunmore East, which they were much closer to, and subsequently got into trouble with the Irish authorities for doing so. >click to read< 13:21
Fishing Fleet Brexit Voluntary Permanent Cessation Scheme Open for Applications
The purpose of the scheme is to restore balance between the fishing fleet capacity and available quotas following quota reductions arising from the Brexit Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) between the EU and the UK. The scheme follows from a recommendation of the Seafood Task Force, established by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue TD, in 2021. The scheme will support vessels in the polyvalent and beam trawl segments to permanently cease all fishing activity, increasing the quota available for remaining vessels, and thereby ensuring the sustainable profitability of the Irish fishing fleet. >click to read< 08:34
Irish fishing fleet to be gutted by one third to make Brexit quota – “This is a very sad day.”
Sixty trawlers will be decommissioned and taken out of business by the end of next year leaving just 100 vessels left in the whole country. The Government is to pay out €63.5 million in compensation from EU funds to the fishermen who are leaving the industry. All of the country’s fishing groups agreed to the deal except the West and South Fish Producers Association. Precise details are expected to be given to the Dail in the next week or two. >click to read< 07:30
Brexit Tie-up Scheme for Fishing Fleet is Announced – Trawler owners to be paid not to fish
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue has announced the launch of a Brexit Temporary Fishing Fleet Tie-up Scheme. The scheme will help mitigate the impacts of quota cuts on the fishing fleet arising from the Trade and Cooperation Agreement agreed in December between the European Union and the UK. >click to read< Trawler owners are to be paid up to €88,700 to not fish – He said that under the deal, these boats would tie-up at the quayside and cease all fishing activity for that month. In return, the vessel owner would receive a payment compensating for the lost fishing income. The vessel owners will in turn be required to distribute one-third of that payment to crew. >click to read< 09:52
Dunmore East fishermen tell Minister: “All the problems go away if you get more quota.”
The Marine Minister visited the picturesque Dunmore East harbour on one of the hottest days of the year, he faced some searing questions about the future of the fishing fleet, including from a young fisherman who asked him to fight for more quota. “Every year it’s getting harder,” another fisherman said. A fifth generation Dunmore East fisherman told the Minister: “All the problems go away if you get more quota.” Around 20 fishermen gathered at the famous Co Waterford harbour to air their grievances with the minister,,, >click to read< 07:38
Irish Fishing fleet could be ‘slashed’ because of Brexit,
Ireland’s fishing fleet is likely to be slashed because of Brexit, an interim Government report on the impact of Brexit on the fishing industry has concluded. The cuts will, the Government hopes, ensure those left in the industry can survive on a “sustainable” footing. While measures being discussed include a temporary voluntary cessation scheme for fishers, other measures include cutting the number of vessels in the fleet altogether. >click to read< 18:55
