The Fishing Daily Podcast – Series 06, Episode 01
The first episode in the new series of the Fishing Daily Podcast sees Patrick Murphy talk about the personal attack made by Social Democrat’s Deputy, Jennifer Whitmore under Privilege during the JOC on Fisheries and the Marine, and asks why the party are “anti-fishing”.
Remarks Made In Personal Capacity, Not On Behalf Of ISWFPO
Patrick Murphy, who is CEO of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation, has raised concerns following a recent meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Fisheries and the Marine, stressing that his comments relate to his personal experience of the exchange and do not represent the position of the ISWFPO.
Murphy was invited to appear before the committee to discuss marine protected areas but said the discussion moved away from the stated agenda during the session.
“I attended to talk about marine protected areas,” Murphy said. “That is not what the discussion became.”
He said an issue unrelated to the committee’s remit was introduced, referencing a social media comment made before he took up his current professional role.
“The comment was made on my personal account, before I became CEO of the ISWFPO,” Murphy said. “It had nothing to do with the committee’s work or the subject we were there to discuss.”
Opportunity To Respond Was Limited
Murphy said he attempted to respond during the meeting but was prevented from doing so.
“I tried to answer for a few seconds and was cut off,” he said. “When I tried to come back in, the chair moved on.”
He said this meant the issue raised was left unresolved and unexamined in the public record.
Marine Protected Areas Discussion Disrupted
Murphy said the exchange limited the committee’s ability to properly examine marine protected areas and their implications for the fishing sector.
“We were not asked substantive questions about how MPAs would work in practice, how displacement would be managed, or how fishing communities would be affected,” he said.
He added that questions raised during the session risked creating ambiguity without clarification.
Wider Policy Implications
Murphy said the experience reflected a broader issue around how fisheries policy debates are conducted.
“There is a tendency to talk about fishermen without actually engaging with them on the detail,” he said. “That does not lead to good policy.”
He said decisions affecting fishing activity need to be grounded in practical realities, not assumptions.
“The fishing sector is already under significant pressure,” Murphy said. “How these policies are discussed, and who is allowed to speak, matters.”