Case Study 2

The Impact of the EEC on Irish Fisheries

SAMPLE ANSWER

Before Ireland joined the EEC in 1973, its fishing industry was much neglected and quite unproductive. However, Ireland’s accession to the EEC in 1973 had a massive impact on its fishing industry, especially in relation to development and research, improving infrastructure, providing grants and creating new markets and employment. As European economies began to improve following World War 11, six European countries – France,

West Germany, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands and Luxembourg – set up the EEC to work towards a common policy regarding tariffs and free trade. In 1970, Ireland applied for membership and on 1 January 1973, became a full member of the EEC. Under the terms of agreement reached, for the following ten years Ireland could: enforce a six-mile fishing limit around its coast; retain the 12-mile fishing limit from Lough Foyle to Cork Harbour; and retain the 12-mile limit for certain types of fish and all shellfish between Carnsore Point and Carlingford Lough. One of the biggest impacts of EEC membership on fisheries came from the fact that the EEC recognised that the entire Irish state was underdeveloped, hence it provided structural funds to improve infrastructure, roads, harbours, telephone lines, processing and storage facilities for fish. As dredging of harbours got underway, and quays and piers were repaired and built, grants were also given to fishermen to invest in bigger and better equipped boats, so that they could stay at sea longer and fish in deeper waters. Fish prices were guaranteed by disposing of surplus stock, giving fishermen great income security. As confidence in the industry increased, the number of boats weighing over 100 tonnes grew from 27 in 1970 to over 80 by 1989. Another impact of Ireland joining the EEC was that the number of full and part time fishermen grew by almost 33%, rising to 12,000 by 1989. There was a decline in the number of part-time fishermen, but many of these may well have been redeployed into fish processing. By the late 1980s there were 113 fish processing businesses around the country, employed in smoking salmon or harvesting shellfish; collectively they employed up to 3,000 people, often in employment blackspots along the west and south-western seaboard. Joining the EEC also had an impact on the growth of the fish farming industry, especially due to the grants and structural funds that were available. Mussels and oysters were farmed, especially in Wexford, Cork and Galway Bay. EEC funds were also used to research new methods of fish farming, such as growing mussels on ropes. Membership of the EEC also ensured hygiene and safety standards and led to ready markets eager to buy from Ireland. As supplies of wild salmon decreased significantly, many farms growing salmon began to spring up, especially along the Atlantic coast. In conclusion, Ireland’s entry into the EEC certainly had a big impact on its fisheries industry. The improvements that were made in infrastructure, the fishing fleet, quays, piers, employment and stability in prices all benefitted an industry whose possibilities had been much overlooked. However, these benefits were balanced out to a certain extent by the limits on fish catches and the fear of over-fishing, especially following Spain and Portugal’s accession into the EEC in 1986.