Ireland’s three largest political parties have been courting voters in the seafood industry in the run up to the country’s general election on 29 November by making several promises to strengthen the sector.
Two of the country’s current ruling parties – Fine Gael and Fianna Fail – have promised the industry a dedicated minister of state for fisheries if elected, while the Sinn Fein party has promised to institute a dedicated marine minister and create a Fish Ireland office in Brussels, Belgium, that would lobby E.U. officials.
Irish fishing bodies have blamed a shortage of quota from the E.U., as well as SFPA oversight, for a drop in landings at key ports and processing hubs, such as Killybegs on the northwest coast of Ireland.
Irish South and West Fishermen’s Organization CEO Patrick Murphy said another gripe that Irish fishermen would like addressed is that Ireland possesses 12 percent of E.U. waters, but less than six percent of the bloc’s fishing quotas – and fishermen want a larger share of the quota for the country's trawlers.
Similarly, a new grouping of the country’s various fishery lobby groups, calling itself the Seafood Ireland Alliance, has sought Irish government action …
