Irish Fishing Industry Faces €200 Million Loss From Quota Cuts

“The Minister pledged to bring the industry’s concerns directly to the Government and present a financial framework for addressing the crisis to them. He said he would deploy all political capacity to secure such a framework, and that he would seek to reassess key policies which affect the national fishing fleet,” said O’Donnell.

Minister Promises Weekly Engagement

According to O’Donnell, Minister Dooley told the meeting he would “fight to the nth degree” for the EU to apply the Hague Preferences — a mechanism that adjusts quotas in Ireland’s favour when Total Allowable Catches fall below critical levels. The Minister also confirmed that he would push for a “fresh approach” at EU level, calling for stronger action against non-EU states such as Norway, Iceland and the Faroes, which continue to overfish shared stocks with little accountability.

Industry leaders described the meeting as “constructive” and said the Minister promised to maintain weekly communication with representatives during the crisis. They agreed that Ireland must now press for sanctions and rebalanced quotas at EU level before the December Fisheries Council meeting.

The IFPO has also called for emergency financial supports for both catching and processing sectors, and for Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) to carry out an urgent assessment of the potential economic impact on coastal regions.

Background to the Quota Crisis

The ICES recommendation for a 70% reduction in mackerel is particularly severe, as the stock is now assessed to be below safe biological limits. The advice also includes major cuts to blue whiting, which spawns in Irish waters, and to boarfish — another commercially important pelagic species for Irish fleets.

The IFPO said the new advice represents a “triple blow” that could cripple Ireland’s offshore fleet and devastate rural economies. “Sustainability is vital — but the EU’s failure to stop reckless overfishing by Norway, Iceland and the Faroes has led directly to this collapse,” said O’Donnell.

He added that Ireland must press the EU to impose trade and access sanctions against states that refuse to comply with international sustainability agreements. “Market access for these rogue states should be conditional on compliance with sustainability rules,” he said.

Economic Impact on Coastal Communities

Mackerel remains Ireland’s most valuable fishery, worth €94 million in exports last year to premium European and Asian markets. The IFPO estimates that the proposed cuts would slash that figure by €82 million in a single year. Once the broader impacts on processing, logistics, and services are included, the total economic loss could exceed €200 million.

“We cannot overstate the urgency,” O’Donnell continued. “These cuts will destroy our most valuable fisheries and cripple the towns that depend on them, unless the EU acts decisively. This must be a line in the sand.”

He warned that the future of the entire pelagic sector is now at stake. “If Brussels fails to stand up for fair, science-based management, Ireland’s pelagic industry could disappear within a year,” O’Donnell said.