Irish Fishermen The Net Losers Again In Brexit Deal
Aontú Leader & Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín has raised the fact that the Irish fishing industry and thousands of Irish fishermen are the net losers of the Brexit Deal, as a result of the failure of the Irish government to protect Irish interests.
An Teachta Tóibín:
“The Irish fishing industry was the sacrificial lamb to protect European interests. By the admission of our own Taoiseach, the Irish fishing industry will and should be disappointed with the contents of the EU-Britain Trade Deal and the concessions given to Boris Johnson. All the promises and pledges to protect Irish fisheries were undone in an 11th hour backroom deal to appease Boris Johnson and protect European interests. As pointed out by the CEO of the Killibegs Fishing Organisation, 60% of the Mackerel in the Irish market comes from British waters, now that share will be reduced to 13% despite the fact that the vast majority of those Mackerel are spawned in Irish waters. 34% of all fish caught by Irish boats are in British waters, now 25% of that share will have to be handed back to Britain by Irish boats. Irish fishermen were sold out by European politicians.”
“The EU agreed to give up 25% of the approximately €650 million in fish EU boats catch in British waters each year, over a period of five and a half years. Who is most affected by restrictions on access and fish in British waters? The nation that is most proximate and in fact shares a border with Britain. By the time this agreement will be reviewed, the Irish fishing sector could be in very dire straits and have no hopes of competing against larger British fishing trawlers.”
