Voisinage and fish landings
Deputy Mac Lochlainn said Irish fishermen licensed in the North were being blocked from landing fish in most State harbours despite legislation restoring voisinage. The Taoiseach said new UK third-country rules applied, leaving Castletownbere and Killybegs as designated ports for those landings.
The Taoiseach will recall that in 2019, the Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Act came through the Houses and at that time, the Government stated that its purpose was to reinstate the principle of voisinage to allow Irish fishers, no matter where they were resident on the island of Ireland, to fish and sell their produce on this island. Today's date is 13 January and for 13 days, Irish fishermen with a licence in the North of Ireland are being prevented from landing their fish in harbours and piers across the State, with the exception of Killybegs and Castletownbere. In counties such as Donegal, this means that the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority is literally at harbours preventing Irish fishermen from landing into those harbours. Worse than that, it is going to co-operatives and producers and getting rid of their lobsters and crabs. It is an appalling situation. The Taoiseach has it in his power to designate more piers and harbours across the State by this Friday and to reinstate the fishing rights of these fishers and their right to supply to this island.
Comment on this
The Deputy raises a serious and important issue because from 1 January, the United Kingdom has become a third country and therefore, it is subject to illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing legislation under the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission requirements. Castletownbere and Killybegs are the Irish ports designated for third country landings of fish for those purposes. That includes Northern Ireland UK vessels. As we know and as the Deputy has said, UK fishing vessels, including Northern Ireland vessels, have had a pattern of landing at many Irish ports prior to the UK leaving the European Union. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has requested the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority to review the issue in terms of additional resources that will be required in the event of further designations and work is being done on the issue. There are practical issues involved in the designation of further ports but I take the overall point that the Deputy has made.