NIFA warns Ireland’s inshore fishermen face crisis and urges urgent financial support to protect livelihoods and coastal communities.
Ireland’s inshore sector is “fighting for survival”, according to the National Inshore Fishermen Association (NIFA), following a meeting on Friday with Minister Timmy Dooley, Minister Norma Foley, Michael Cahill TD and Minister Michael Healy-Rae.
Inshore fishermen at breaking point
NIFA said it made clear to Government that inshore fishermen can no longer absorb rising costs, mounting regulation, poor weather and declining incomes without meaningful intervention. The small-boat sector, which supplies high-quality Irish seafood and underpins many coastal economies, is being “pushed to the edge”.
Call for urgent financial aid
The association stressed the immediate need for practical and substantial financial support, including measures through the Seafood Task Force. NIFA warned that fishermen “cannot survive on words and promises alone”, saying that without swift action more vessels will tie up and more coastal families will be forced out of fishing.
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Reopening fisheries and creating opportunities
NIFA also highlighted the importance of reopening closed fisheries where possible, providing adequate financial backing to keep boats at sea, and developing new, sustainable fishing opportunities for the inshore fleet. The future of the sector, the group said, depends not only on emergency support but on creating viable long-term livelihoods.
Defending communities and a way of life
NIFA said it will continue to speak out for inshore fishermen nationwide, insisting their voice must be heard. The association described the issue as being much broader than fishing alone, framing it as a matter of protecting coastal communities, safeguarding generational knowledge and securing the future of Ireland’s traditional fishermen.
The organisation vowed to keep pushing until Ireland’s inshore sector receives the recognition, respect and financial support it needs to survive.
