Nina Carberry, who was elected as an Irish representative to the E.U. Parliament over the summer and now sits on the parliament’s trade committee, wants to review the U.K.-E.U. Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) to ensure greater access for Irish trawlers in British waters.
The TCA was signed after Brexit, and entered into force on 1 January 2021. The U.K. and E.U. later concluded negotiations in June 2021 over catch limits for jointly managed fish stocks.
“Under the U.K.-E.U. TCA agreed in 2021, 25 percent of the overall existing E.U. quota in U.K. waters is being transferred to the U.K. over a five-and-a-half-year transition period to June 2026,” a spokesperson for Carberry told SeafoodSource. “This percentage figure will be up for review next year when the entire TCA will be revisited by both parties. In this discussion, Carberry will be advocating that the E.U. and, by extension, Ireland get increased access to U.K. territorial waters. As a member of the Parliament’s trade committee, Carberry will have an opportunity to put forward this case as part of the Parliament’s position on the overall revised agreement.”
Irish fishery representative groups like the Irish Fish Producers Organisation (IFPO) have criticized what they said is an unfair burden borne by Ireland post-Brexit, claiming that Ireland had to unfairly give large chunks of quota to the U.K. post-Brexit.
Carberry’s office agrees with IFPO's objections to the agreement.
“As it stands, the TCA does not adequately protect Ireland's fishing industry, which is a cornerstone of our coastal communities and a vital contributor to our economy,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that the seafood sector contributes EUR 1.3 billion (USD 1.4 billion) annually to the Irish economy and supports thousands of jobs, making its future viability essential to secure.
“It is imperative that the TCA is revised to ensure a more equitable outcome for our fisheries,” the spokesperson told SeafoodSource.
IFPO CEO Aodh O’Donnell told SeafoodSource that Carberry and other Irish MEPs “must seek redress of key flaws” in the current agreement.
“Our ask is simple and straightforward,” O’Donnell said. “Ireland holds a 50 percent share of the western mackerel stock, and we lost 26 percent of pelagic quota in the TCA giveaway. We urgently need to secure rebalancing of this inequitable deal. A fundamental rebalancing by the E.U. is required, with the transfers reversed on an equitable basis.”
The Irish fishing sector has lost EUR 200 million (USD 220 million) and seen the decommissioning of 39 vessels under the TCA, O’Donnell said.
