Fishing community ‘horrified’ at possibility of fleets being decommissioned

Communities fear the “devastation of rural Ireland”, as the Government has announced a fishing taskforce with decommissioning of fleets on the agenda, according to a Donegal-based priest.

Fr John Joe Duffy told The Irish Catholic that his local community of Creeslough, Donegal, are “horrified” at the prospect of their ships being decommissioned.

“They’re horrified to think that a decommissioning could take place, because we have spent years building up a modern fishing fleet,” Fr Duffy said. “They’re horrified by what’s happened and the amount of fish that’s been given away and they’re horrified to think that this could be the death knell of what is left of the Irish fleet.”

A Seafood Sector Taskforce is being established by the Department for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in light of cuts following the Brexit fisheries deal. The taskforce will submit two reports, with an eye to recommending voluntary tie-up schemes and the decommissioning of boats.

Fr Duffy warns that such an approach would have a “devastating effect” on rural communities.

“It’s the devastation of rural Ireland,” he said. “We have the Government talking about development of rural Ireland and policies, but we first must begin to sustain what we have.”