Inland and Marine Fisheries: Statements Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-04 ============================================================ Chris Andrews (SF), Labour Panel The outcome of the December EU Fisheries Council represents nothing short of a catastrophe for Ireland's fishing industry and for the coastal communities that depend on it. This deal is a betrayal of fishermen, processors, families and entire ports whose livelihoods are now hanging by a thread. According to the Seafood Ireland Alliance, Ireland will have 57,000 tonnes less of a quota to fish in 2026. This will deliver a direct hit of €94 million to the industry. When wider economic impacts are considered, the damage could reach €200 million next year alone. This is not abstract; it means real jobs - 2,300 of which will be immediately at risk in places like Killybegs, Castletownbere, Howth and countless smaller harbours and villages around our coast. We are facing a situation where vessels may be able to fish for ten to 12 days a year. Factories that once operated for three to five months may be reduced to two or three weeks of work. Every segment of the fleet – whitefish and pelagic, offshore and inshore - will be affected. Job losses are inevitable. This is the darkest hour ever for Ireland's fishing industry. Ireland fished responsibly while others did not. Non-EU states ignored science, inflated their catches and created this crisis, yet Ireland is carrying the heaviest proportional losses. That is fundamentally unjust. The European Union has failed Ireland's fishing industry repeatedly. This latest decision exposes just how unfair the Common Fisheries Policy has become. Ireland is paying the price for chronic overfishing by third countries while EU-based corporations, some allegedly investing heavily in the same fleets, continue to wield extraordinary influence at European level. At the Joint Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs this week, Sinn Féin has been seeking clear answers from the Minister of State. How was this outcome allowed to occur? What immediate life support will be provided to the Irish fleet and the processing sector? What alternative courses does the Government now intend to pursue? Critically, we need to know whether the Government will allow the last remaining safeguard for Ireland under the CFP, namely the Hague preferences, to be stripped away without a legal fight. These preferences date back to 1976. They were designed to protect highly dependent fishing nations like Ireland from extreme quota cuts. They are an insurance policy that guarantee a minimum level of fish to catch in our own waters. However, for the first time in almost 50 years, they were blocked and were prevented from even being put to a vote by France, Germany, Poland and the Netherlands. Let us be clear. This was not a technical adjustment. It was a political choice. The refusal to honour the Hague preferences fundamentally undermines the viability of Ireland's coastal communities. As one industry representative asked in plain terms, if this protection cannot be honoured, why should Ireland continue to offer such generous access to its waters? It is deeply concerning that one large seafood corporation based in the Netherlands appears to have more influence in Europe in respect of quota allocation than the Irish State. That is not acceptable. We need answers. While I acknowledge the efforts made by the Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, at Council level, this cannot be the end of the road. The Taoiseach and the Tánaiste must urgently intervene. Ireland cannot continue with meek resistance while our industry is hollowed out. What is required is a radical reset in how the State approaches fisheries at the European level. Business as usual has failed. The days of quiet acceptance must end. Alongside that fight in Europe, immediate action is required at home. Inshore fishermen in particular are under relentless pressure due to rising costs, climate-driven loss of fishing days, volatile markets and repeated quota cuts. It is now beyond dispute that a basic income stabilisation payment is required to keep this sector alive. Sinn Féin supports the proposal from the National Inshore Fishermen's Association for an inshore fisheries income stabilisation and climate compensation scheme, similar in principle to the basic income support rightly provided to artists. We welcome the Minister of State's assurance that this proposal will be considered by the Michael Berkery-led task force. That task force must be established as a matter of urgency, with clear terms of reference agreed with the seafood sector and adequate funding on the table. Fishermen cannot wait months while livelihoods collapse. Protecting inshore fishing is not only economically sensible; it is about protecting culture, heritage and the social fabric of coastal and island communities. I want to briefly address the issue of inland fisheries. Ireland’s rivers and lakes are a vital public asset, supporting biodiversity, tourism and rural livelihoods, yet they are in serious decline. Wild salmon and sea trout stocks are falling, water quality remains poor, fish migration is obstructed and climate pressures are mounting. This reflects a lack of co-ordination across Departments and agencies. We need a comprehensive inland fisheries policy incorporating clear targets for water quality, habitat restoration and stock recovery and developed in partnership with stakeholders and anglers. Once again, as with Brexit, Ireland has been left carrying a burden created by others. That is unjust. It reflects badly on the European Union and on a fisheries system that consistently sacrifices small coastal nations in favour of large, powerful interests. Ireland cannot accept this outcome. Our fishing communities deserve fairness, protection and leadership. It is time this State delivered that. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-02-04/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:35+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-02-04