A North West TD is warning that a decision taken at Cabinet level last night will be ‘devastating’ for the local fishing industry and could put a number of jobs in the processing of fish at risk in factories across the country.
The Cabinet has agreed a 66 million euro decommissioning scheme for Ireland’s fishing fleet.
It’s estimated the Department of Marine will look to remove up to 60 boats from the fleet after a loss of quota post-Brexit.
That would be the equivalent of around a third of the whitefish fleet.
The reduction was a result of a recommendation of the Seafood Task Force.
Donegal independent TD Thomas Pringle says the move shows that the government is more interested in complying with European directives than fighting to save the fishing Industry.
