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The Skipper MARCH 2015
The need for Local Management
current case is the desire by the State
to permit a leisure pot fishery. This
desire is almost inevitably going
to destroy the newly announced
National Inshore Fisheries Forum as
fishermen’s groups have found that
they are not being listened to and
that the agenda is being formulated
by the State agencies. The Dept. of
Agriculture, Food and the Marine
needs to understand that the Forum
will never work if it is viewed as
an implementation group for the
Department’s previously formulated
policy. The very inappropriately
named Inshore Management Group
has not a single fisherman within the
group and yet they have produced a
paper on the recreational/leisure pot
fishery.
The members of the Galway Bay
Inshore Fishermen’s Association held
a meeting in Galway recently.
The shrimp season was winding
down and the members felt the need
to agree appropriate management
measures so that the fishery would
continue to provide a reliable income
to the 26 members of the association
into the future.
Within 90 minutes a number of new
management steps were agreed
and the members undertook to sign
a commitment to implement and
abide by these steps. It was agreed
that a maximum of 700 shrimp pots
per vessel could be operated. This
measure was adopted because of
the trend towards ever increasing
amounts of gear with the obvious
additional consequence, besides
the considerable financial outlay, of
more bait, fuel, time on the water and
foul–ups. The marker buoy on each
sling of 25 pots will be sequentially
numbered. If, after a couple of
seasons, the anticipated benefits of
this reduction in gear are apparent,
consideration will be given to further
reductions.
A second positive measure which
was also unanimously agreed was
to delay the opening of the shrimp
season by one month. The season
will now open at 10.00am on 1st
Sept. In the Autumn the shrimp are
growing rapidly and all agreed that
there was little sense in reducing the
total biomass by removing small
lower value shrimp which are likely
to be taken later in the season when
they will be bigger and of a higher
unit value.
It was also agreed that as the velvet
crab stock had decreased in recent
years –an event which the members
associated with a couple of severe
winters—all berried crab will be
returned immediately to the sea.
A voluntary velvet crab minimum
landing size of 65mm was agreed.
After the meeting some members
pointed out the contrast in the
manner in which sensible, practical
decisions can be made by collectives
of fishermen whose livelihoods are
affected by the decisions and the
cumbersome ineffective bureaucratic
state agencies who rarely arrive at
appropriate practical decisions. A
A relevant fact concerning leisure
potting is that a number of fishermen
who were previously active in
lobster Vee-notching schemes have
withdrawn from these schemes
because they have discovered that
many of the Vee-notched lobsters
were being removed from the fishery
by those engaged in recreation! The
local SFPA officers on the ground do
not want to see a leisure pot fishery.
As it is, they find it impossible
to control illegal commercial pot
fisheries and the last thing they need
is for the State to be encouraging
additional leisure pot fishers. The
agencies involved are supposedly
working under the marine department
and not the tourism department.
It would benefit local fishermen,
restaurants and hotels to a far
greater degree if tourists purchased
their lobster or crab locally rather
than being encouraged to catch it
themselves.
GBIAA members feel The Dept.
had no difficulty in closing down
the salmon drift-net fishery, the
commercial bass fishery and the eel
fishery. The bass fishery is now in the
exclusive ownership of the leisure
Sheehan’s Fishing Company Ltd.
All commercial pot fishermen
must by law undergo training, at
their own expense, in first aid, sea
survival and fire prevention. One
individual in each vessel must have
a certificate in radio operation. All
vessels must carry hydrostatically
released EPIRB’s and each fisherman
must wear a life jacket fitted with a
beacon. Each vessel must undergo
an intensive survey every four years
and obviously each vessel owner,
usually at very considerable expense,
has to acquire tonnage and KW in
order to licence his vessel. Contrast
this set of arduous rules, with the zero
requirement for the leisure fisher who
can go to sea in an Aldi inflatable.
There is no doubt that in addition
to breaking up the National Forum
before it even gets underway, the
State will prove to be directly
responsible for conflict, accidents and
probably loss of life if it persists with
it’s present course of action. Galway
Bay Inshore Fishermen’s Association
strongly recommend that the Dept.
and it’s agencies for once listen to the
professionals and accept that there
is no lobby for a leisure pot fishery,
and the correct and appropriate
action is to require that all pot fishers,
regardless of whether or not they are
fishing for profit, must abide by the
regulations and licensing system.
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industry as is most of the salmon
fishery. The effect of those closures
was to divert ever increasing effort
into the lobster and crab fisheries
and the Dept now wishes to load
even more, what in reality will be
uncontrolled effort, into these same
fisheries. If the Dept is now so keen
on catering to leisure and tourists it
should be making a case to ICCAT
so that the interpretation of the law
which is prohibiting even a catch
and release tagging fishery for bluefin tuna, which have been abundant
off this coast in recent years, be
examined and if necessary, a case
should be made for change.
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Untitled-16 1
2 March
Kilmore Quay Harbour, Co. Wexford
3 March
Castletownbere Harbour, Co. Cork
6-7 March
Skipper Expo International, Galway
9 March
Killybegs Harbour, Co. Donegal
10 March
Portavogie Harbour, Co. Down
11 March
Kilkeel Harbour, Co. Down
12 March
Howth Harbour, Co. Dublin
Patrick Deegan
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+353 (0) 86 602 6921
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marine.cummins.com
25/02/2015 14:00
MARCH 2015 The Skipper
News 9
IFA asks Minister Coveney to use EU rule to save south western
shellfish sector
The Irish Shellfish Association,
which is a member of IFA, has put
a strong case to Minister Simon
Coveney outlining the severe
crisis in the mussel production
sector in west Cork and Kerry as
a result of highly unusual algal
blooms this winter.
“Some bays have been forced to
close down for five consecutive
months and farmers have had
to watch their crops wash away
during the winter storms instead
of fetching premiums in top
supermarkets and restaurants.”
Producers from Castlemaine
to Dunmanus Bay have been
impacted.
IFA’s Aquaculture Executive,
Richie Flynn, said, “By closing
their harvesting operations,
the mussel farmers ensured the
consumer and food safety comes
first but unfortunately they have
no control over the length of
time these natural blooms can
persist in the ocean. Producers are
not arguing with the science or
criteria which closed them down.
In fact, IFA members work very
Rope mussels
closely with the agencies such
as the Food Safety Authority,
Marine Institute, HSE and BIM to
ensure we have the safest shellfish
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system in the world.
“The EU has recognised this
major sacrifice can be extremely
painful and must be balanced by a
special scheme to allow producers
to stay in business. That official
recognition was enshrined in EU
regulations over seven years ago.
Minister Coveney must use these
EU rules now to find a scheme
to help dozens of small family
businesses along the south west
coast to stay in business. Accurate
figures on each producer’s
production can be accessed from
Gatherers Documents records held
by the Sea Fisheries Protection
Authority (SFPA).”
The IFA’s analysis shows that up
to 10,000 tonnes of top quality
mussel crop has been lost to the
elements or is now unusable.
Richie Flynn said, “This crop
should have been sold in
November, December and even
January. But some bays have been
closed continuously since mid2014 due to an extremely rare
occurrence where algal blooms
which should have disappeared
stayed within the bays making the
shellfish unsafe to consume. Even
if the bays were opened in the
morning, prices have entered the
annual cyclical slump and most
of the crop has lost its quality
appearance and size as it prepares
for the spring spawning season.”
The Irish Shellfish Association
Chairman, Jerry Gallagher said
he was appealing to Minister
Coveney to find a financial
solution to the problem as
allowed under the EU Fisheries
Fund rules. “This is the Minister’s
chance to make a real difference
and keep open as successful
indigenous industry in an
important economic black-spot.
With the expertise of BIM and
other agencies such as the Marine
Institute, a full assessment of the
damage is possible and a legal
and justifiable scheme can be
implemented without delay.”
December to February is the
busiest selling period for
Irish rope-grown mussels – a
very important seafood crop
nationally and in the south west
in particular. The crop brings in at
least €7 million in export earnings
to producers in the South West
alone.
Mussels also serve as an
important raw material for local
seafood processors. But, as 2015
begins, the sector is facing a
serious crisis. Restrictions on
harvesting brought about by an
extremely rare collision of natural
events, most especially biotoxins
or “red tides” has created the
perfect economic storm
and threatens to put
over two dozen
companies and
200 jobs at
risk.
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10 News
The Skipper MARCH 2015
CHIEF EXECUTIVE
An Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), the Irish Sea Fisheries Board, is the state agency
with primary responsibility for the sustainable development of the Irish seafood industry.
Its key objective is to develop the industry both at sea and ashore, to enable it to
make its full contribution to the economy of the coastal regions and the country as a
whole. “Capturing Ireland’s Share of the Global Seafood Opportunity”, BIM’s Strategy
for the period 2013-2017, has been approved by the Government and will inform
the development approach. To achieve its objectives BIM provides a wide range of
financial, technical, training, resource development and support services to the
catching, aquaculture, processing and business development sectors of the industry.
The organisation has five divisions: Aquaculture Development Services, Fisheries
Development & Training Services, Business Development & Innovation Services,
CEO Division and Corporate Services.
Reporting to the Board, the person appointed will work closely with the Chairman
and Board of Directors and will be responsible for providing overall leadership to BIM.
Along-side the management team, they will also be responsible for devising and
implementing strategies and programmes to give effect to agreed policies subject to
budgetary and corporate governance requirements.
The person we are seeking will have a record of success as a leader and senior
manager in a service organisation, preferably in the marine, food or consumer goods
sector. Experience in strategic planning and implementation, and the ability to work
with diverse groups will be an advantage. Excellent interpersonal and communication
skills, creativity, drive, energy and enthusiasm, coupled with sound judgement and the
ability to promote teamwork, negotiate effectively and work within complex structures,
are prerequisites for the post.
This post will be based at BIM’s Head Office in Dun Laoghaire. Remuneration and
conditions will reflect the importance of this role.
For an informal discussion, please call Ellen Roche,
Director, Executive Search, PwC at 01 792 6703 or
email [email protected]
Applications should be sent to [email protected]
Closing date for applications is Friday, 20th March 2015.