Precautionary deal gives Killybegs-based mackerel quota worth €61million

 

 
A deal has been reached which will allow a €61M mackerel quota boost for Donegal-based fishermen.
Under an order issued earlier this year, the Killybegs-based mackerel fishing sector will be allocated 87 per cent of the overall quota agreed in London yesterday.
This means the Donegal-based sector will catch almost €61M of the €70M Irish quota announced last night by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Michael Creed.
“This is good news for the fishing fleet along the west coast and which fishes out of Killybegs,” said Donegal Minister Joe McHugh.
Minister Creed announced the outcome of the international fisheries negotiations which concluded yesterday in London.
These negotiations, between the European Union, Norway, the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland were focused on the sustainable management of the €1billion annual mackerel fishery in the North East Atlantic.
The new mackerel quota for Irish fishermen for 2018 will be just under 70,000 tonnes (69,143 tonnes) with a landing value of €70 million.
The current sharing arrangement for mackerel was agreed in 2014 between three parties only – EU, Faeroes and Norway. An amount is held in reserve to accommodate the other parties. This agreement is due to expire at the end of 2018 and it is expected that intensive negotiations on a new agreement will take place throughout 2018.
Minister McHugh added: “The quotas agreed for 2018 are consistent with the Long Term Management Strategy which aims to provide sustainability and stability in this hugely valuable fishery in line with the scientific advice. In terms of the negotiations to come these are likely to be further complicated by Brexit.
I remain dissatisfied with the 2014 agreement and will be working for a more equitable sharing arrangement that also protects the ongoing long term sustainability of the mackerel stock.”