Ireland takes up the sustainability challenge

But as far as his running of his country’s commercial fishing industry is concerned, you would find it hard to criticise him.

The fishing industry in Ireland has changed sustainably over the last five years. It is now much more business driven than before, market focused and has taken a medium term view of its strategic requirements.

“Over the last five years, the long running decline of the Irish whitefish fleet has been tackled and a newer, safer, more economically and environmentally viable fleet is developing,” says Frank Fahey.

When Ireland entered the EU in 1972, the country did not have much of a fishing fleet and could not afford to exploit is resources off the Irish coast and consequently sold of the majority of its waters which has resulted now in the country having 11% of EU waters and only 4% of EU quotas.

“We have been struggling ever since with this fact but we have a very professional group of people in the industry, ” says Frank Fahey, adding: “More than ever before we have a serious responsibility in terms of conservation of the resource. Very much the policy now of our Government is one of conservation measures, closing of spawning areas, increasing mesh sizes and managing a resource rather than hunting it.”

But the future, not only in Ireland but in Europe as well, is promising. With the new Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) on its way, they is again much expectation.

Frank Fahey has been a critic of the CFP in the past and admits it has many flaws. Earlier in the year he described it as ‘complex, remote, centralise and bureaucratic’. Now he is keen to see Regional Management Advisory structures put in place which would bring the CFP much closer to the main stake holders in particular fisheries.

“Greater industry involvement at Regional level would greatly assist the development of the CFP,” says Frank Fahey.

“Secondly I would like to see a much greater focus in the CFP on the development of technical conservation measures.

“The TAC and quota system is not working properly. Reducing TACs and quotas each year is a blunting instrument and we got to get away from that and get into the technical conservation measures and also go to have much greater co-op between fleets in EU. “

Frank Fahey says that developing greater knowledge and expertise within the CFP on the possibilities for utilising greater mesh sizes, escapement devices for young fish is the central challenge in arresting the decline of key stocks.

“Irish fisherman are also very unhappy with flawed quotas that we have had to content with.”

Despite this, the Irish industry will endeavour to meet the growing demand for more fresh fish and seafood in Ireland and around Europe. Frank Fahey says the growth in farmed products will fuel part of this demand but the potential of deep sea species will be of great importance in the future.

In fact Ireland has been researching into deep sea species since the late 1908s. Almost all deep sea fishing activity by Irish vessels in recent years has taken place with scientific observers on board recording and researching the fisheries. We believe there are substantive fishing opportunities on deep sea species, which could greatly assist European Union fisherman diversifying from traditional fishermen diversifying from traditional fisheries requiring reduced outtakes.”

Frank Fahey says he thinks three steps should be taken in relation to deep sea fishing. Firstly the EU should as a conservative measure address the very large and flexible deep sea fishing opportunities, which it grants to third world countries in EU waters. Secondly he thinks the EU should require mandatory scientific data collection on all EU vessels fishing for deep sea species and thirdly he says the EU should work closely with its partners in the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission to develop a common approach to the research and management.

Aquaculture is also playing an increasingly important part in the supply of seafood globally. In Ireland it now accounts for about 30% of fish processed in Ireland.

“But for it to be very successful it has got to be on the basis on sustainability and can’t be at cost of the environment. We have to strive for even greater quality,” says Frank Fahey.

The wild fisheries in Ireland will not make up the growing deficit of fish with in the European market and this presents Ireland and other key European producers with an important opportunity.

“I believe that new opportunities will also emerge in the medium term beyond the traditional currently being farmed,” says Frank Fahey.

Significant progress is being made in the farming of new species such as turbot and also cod and it is only a matter of time before economic and technical conditions will be right to enable commercial farming to be undertaken in this area, according to the Irish Fisheries Ministry. “Ireland is well placed to meet this challenge,” says Frank Fahey.

The Irish Government is supporting the expansion of the sector through the allocation of £25m in funding under the National Development Plan.

In general Frank Fahey would like to see the industry making maximum sustainable economic contribution and providing high quality, safe employment to people in the peripheral coastal communities along the Irish seaboard.

“The Irish industry will be increasingly providing top quality seafood to prime European markets,” says Frank Fahey.

This will be via modern efficient marketing and logistics structures, which provide maximum possible reward to Irish fishermen and generates maximum value added for an innovative and efficient shore based processing industry.

It also has to meet the challenge of continuing to inform the consumer of what is going on in the industry as well as attempting to increase the general consumption of fish. Recent research has shown that consumer education is a critical component in expanding the seafood market.

More and more consumers in Ireland and across Europe are seeing seafood as an attractive food option.

“I very much welcome any strategies aimed at educating consumers. This will help take the mystique out of the preparation of seafood that prevents many consumers in this country from choosing the fish option,”says Frank Fahey.