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Ritchie: Fisheries must be devolved to NI

SDLP South Down MLA Margaret Ritchie has urged the First and Deputy First Minister to ensure that fisheries are devolved to Northern Ireland to protect fishing families and the fishing industry in County Down.

Mon 16th November

Speaking in the Assembly today the Social Development Minister said:

“For too long fishermen in Ardglass, Kilkeel and Portavogie have faced unnecessary reductions in quotas and restrictions on the numbers of days they can fish have been imposed, despite the fact that Irish Sea stocks have been fished in a sustainable manner for many years.

“If more stringent measures are put in place from Brussels it will have a grave impact on fishing fleets and the fish processing industries upon which the economy of these three towns rely will suffer.

“Northern Ireland must be given a place at the negotiating table in Brussels in December at the quota allocations. We must re-double our efforts to ensure that the views of fishermen regarding the nature of the fishing areas in the Irish Sea are taken into account.

“It is unfair that fishermen from Kilkeel have certain quotas imposed upon them in respect of certain fish species whilst their colleagues in Clogherhead in County Louth have greater flexibility through the Dublin government invoking the Hague Preference, and thus have access to higher quotas for the same fish species.

“It is essential that the fishing communities and the fishing industry in the County Down ports are sustained and protected. This can only be achieved if fisheries are devolved to Northern Ireland.

“Policing and justice is not the end point in devolution. There is a need to arrange that fisheries are devolved to Northern Ireland and I will be urging the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to ensure that this happens.”

Margaret Ritchie

Margaret Ritchie MP, Westminster

Email m.ritchie@sdlp.ie
Tel 028 4461 2882

Press Office

Tel 028 90 52 1837

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