You’ve done Rockall to end Brexit fishing rights chaos Minister
Mcconalogue blasted over lack of water permits
MARINE minister Charlie Mcconalogue’s department has been criticised for its “chaotic” handling of a permit system for Irish fishing vessels to British waters.
Only a fraction of the entire fleet has been given the right to continued access – albeit with a reduced quota as a result of Brexit.
Irish South and West Fish Producers’ Organisation chief Patrick Murphy has said: “Rockall is not the only issue – the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine had no plan B.”
He described the past week as “chaotic” and added he was shocked at how unprepared the department was.
The minister has confirmed only 141 out of the full li st of 1,900 Irish vessels have been given temporary permits to date.
The department said it had requested author is at ion on December 31 for all Irish- registered vessels to fish in the British exclusive economic zone between 12 and 200 nautical miles, after notification by the European Commission of the need to do so.
It added it was“actively and urgently seeking from the UK authorities, through the EU Commission, that all Irish vessels be granted
This is not the only issue, the department had no plan B PATRICK MURPHY YESTERDAY
authorisation to fish in UK waters”.
Mr Murphy said arrangements should have been put in place by department officials “months ago” as preparation f or a negative Brexit outcome.
Mayo prawns kipper Pad dy Mulvany, who fishes with his 20m Kristel Patrick for 40% of the year in the Celtic Sea, was critical of the department’s “arbitrary” selection which did not include his vessel.
He has also questioned the department’s use of the term “priority vessel” in its response to him last week.
Mr Mulvany said: “What does that make the rest of us, second class?
“Unless this is sorted, anyone who wants to sell on a boat won’t be able to realise its value if it does not have access to British waters.”
Ireland stands to be the biggest loser in a Brexit deal which sees EU member states lose 25% of catch overall, but separate administrative authorisation for continued access “should not have been left to the last minute”, Mr Murphy said. Meanwhile, Mr Mcconalogue and Foreign Mini st er Si mon Coveney have said there remains an “increased risk of enforcement action being taken by Scottish fisheries control authorities against Irish vessels operating in the waters around Rockall at present”.