Market collapse hitting Kerry fishing communities hard

KERRY’S inshore fisherman are struggling to cope financially because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in the collapse of fishing markets at home and abroad.

The loss of income is being felt in coastal communities as the Easter market is a time when oysters, lobsters and crab are sold to local restaurants and hotels. But this market has vanished and smaller fishing fleets in Kerry are feeling the effects.

The Chairperson of the Southwest Fishers Local Action Group, Kevin Flannery, said in Fenit alone upwards of 200 tonne of oysters would be destined for markets at this time of year but this is now gone.

“Their market is gone and it’s a part of Kerry’s economy that is struggling because of the total loss of a market,” Kevin said. "There's 80 licence holders in Fenit and their industry has completely gone. Take Cromane where they have an oyster and muscle industry, that’s gone; the market for lobster fishermen around our coast for places like France and Spain, that’s also completely gone,” he added.

There are over 200 registered fishing vessels in Kerry and 90 percent of their market has vanished since the virus took hold. China was a developing market for inshore fishermen, while the lobster market in France and Spain has been impacted by restrictions caused by the global pandemic.

Kevin insists that local fishermen must be compensated through the European Maritime Fishery Fund from which Ireland receives around €240 million a year to be spent on various local agencies and fisheries programmes. Approval from Brussels is required before funding is allowed assist inshore fishermen. "They're in dire straits as they don't have a market. Irish people don’t buy lobster and crab in high numbers so there is no point putting it on the Irish market as they wouldn’t be able to consume the volume that is caught,” Kevin added.

Kevin believes there is urgent need for a ‘tie up’ scheme where the Government will work the shortfall in fishing into a Conservation scheme where fishermen would have some of their overheads covered as part of the scheme.

“I would be asking urgently for this to happen. As well as the loss of the global market, Kerry’s restaurant market is also gone for the foreseeable future. It’s an angle that people have forgotten,” he said.

Over 85 percent of all fish caught in Ireland is sold to the export market. Larger fishing firms can store their catch in huge volume, but the bulk of the fleet consists of smaller, inshore fishing. This catch is what’s known as ‘luxury seafood’ such as oysters, crabs, crayfish and lobster.