“EU & Irish authorities must stand firm against Norwegian Fishery demands” – Chris MacManus MEP

Sinn Féin MEP for Midlands Northwest, Chris MacManus, today met with Irish fishing representatives and organisations in Brussels. MacManus has urged the Minister for the Marine, Charlie McConalogue and his department officials to not accept any deal that gives the Norwegian government unfettered access to Irish fishing grounds. 

The Midlands Northwest MEP said: 

“The insistence by the Norwegian government and fishing industry to gain unfettered access to Ireland’s territorial waters is intolerable. It is completely unacceptable and Irish authorities and the EU need to hold firm.”

 “Not only does Norway have a track record of overfishing mackerel, but it also has an inflated 25% of the total catch for blue whiting, while Ireland only has 3%.”

MacManus said the culture of repeatedly relinquishing our fishing rights must end. “The historic legacy of Irish authorities and senior department officials giving away Irish fishing stocks for nothing is reprehensible and worthy of further scrutiny. The welfare of Irish coastal communities always seems to be bottom of the government’s priorities list. Even lower than the Commission’s it would too often appear.”

“Minister McConalogue and the European Commission must not cave in to the Norwegians’ demands. Ireland is a Member State, Norway is not, and so the onus is on Brussels and the Member States to stand with and act in solidarity with Ireland in these negotiations.”

“The North-western Waters Advisory Council and Europech must also commit their support to Ireland’s fishing and coastal communities in this regard.”

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, Sinn Féin TD for Donegal and party spokesperson for fisheries added: ”Minister McConalogue must stand firm in the current negotiations between the EU and Norway and ensure that the sheer injustice of how Irish fishing communities ended up shouldering 40% of the entire loss of income from fish in the European Union due to Brexit is not repeated again.”

Deputy Mac Lochlainn concluded, “Myself, MEP MacManus and indeed the wider Sinn Féin team will be reminding Minister McConalogue and the European Commission’s Virginijus Sinkevičius that their full support is necessary in defending our native industry.” ENDS
From Left to Right: Aodh O Donnell (CEO of the Irish Fish Producers Organisation), Chris MacManus MEP (Sinn Féin), Patrick Murphy (CEO· Irish South & West Fish Producers Organisation) and Brendan Byrne (CEO, Irish Fish Processors & Exporters Association)