Independent Ireland councillor Noel Thomas has said the outcome of the latest EU fishing quota negotiations has triggered deep anger and distress among fishermen in Galway and along the west coast, many of whom have contacted him directly in recent days.
Cllr Thomas said fishermen have told him they are facing further cuts across whitefish, prawn and pelagic quotas, on top of years of declining access, rising costs and increasing regulatory pressure.
“I have been contacted by fishermen who are deeply upset and genuinely fearful for the future of their livelihoods as they head into a new year with yet more cuts,” he said.
Cllr Thomas said he has raised these concerns directly with Michael Collins TD, and that Deputy Collins will be raising the issue in the Dáil.
He said the scale of the reductions has intensified concerns about how Ireland approaches EU fisheries negotiations.
“There is a strong feeling among fishermen that Ireland relied too heavily on EU process, while other countries went in determined to protect their own fleets and were prepared to block outcomes that did not suit them,” he said.
He said the result is a deal that fishermen believe leaves Irish vessels carrying a disproportionate share of the burden, despite Ireland controlling one of the largest maritime areas in the European Union.
Cllr Thomas said fishermen have described an industry at breaking point, with boat owners and crews struggling under rising fuel costs, mounting regulation and shrinking quotas.
“Fishing families are not looking for special treatment. They are looking for fairness, realism and a future. That cannot be met by explanations after the fact or by measures that do not replace lost livelihoods,” he said.
Thomas said the concerns being expressed by fishermen must now be reflected in Government action, including meaningful engagement, realistic compensation measures and a more assertive defence of Irish fishing interests at EU level.
“These voices cannot continue to be ignored. Coastal and island communities depend on this industry, and the stakes are simply too high for business as usual,” he concluded.
