Debate contribution: Fishing Industry: Capital Investment

Debate contribution by Miss Michelle McIlveen on 27 February 2024.

MLA

Miss Michelle McIlveen

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

27 February 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Fishing Industry: Capital Investment

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4237469

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I beg to move

The commercial fishing industry is hugely important to the Northern Ireland economy. The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs has identified that the industry supports nearly 400 businesses and around 1,850 full-time-equivalent jobs, generating £169 million in turnover. It is fundamental to the communities of Portavogie in my constituency, Kilkeel and Ardglass. At the outset, I pay tribute to the fishermen who bravely set out in the oldest fishing fleet in Europe to land their catch in a grossly underfunded harbour infrastructure. Despite the challenges faced, the local fishing industry has proven to be incredibly resilient, but it has huge potential to grow and expand. That is vital for its sustainability and for attracting future generations into the industry. The Minister visited Portavogie harbour in advance of this debate, and he will have seen how the estate there, along with that of the other two commercial harbours, constrains operational capacity. As a result, Northern Ireland lags behind other regions.

The fishing and seafood development programme (FSDP), which was commissioned in 2019, laid out a direction of travel for significant public investment in harbour infrastructure, including plans to allocate £73 million for a new harbour, the Irish Sea marine hub, at Kilkeel; £20 million for deepening the approach channel at Ardglass; and £5 million to develop the existing harbour and abandoned buildings in Portavogie. One of the final instructions by the Minister's immediate predecessor, my colleague Edwin Poots, was to progress the technical and environmental studies for Ardglass and Kilkeel. Even that initial preparatory work, however, has been beset with delay, due to competing pressures on the public purse. Such investments are essential, not simply aspirational. It is vital that communities and industry representatives are provided with a clear indication from the Minister on the current state of those plans and on when work will be undertaken to complete the relevant technical studies. Subject to those studies having favourable outcomes, can we expect the Minister to commit to full implementation of the FSDP's recommendations? Conversations need to begin immediately on the necessary finance for the construction phase of those programmes. Given the recognition of the need for investment by the Minister after last week's visit, can he confirm that he has raised the matter with the Finance Minister? If he has not, will he commit to doing so? As the Minister will be aware, there was a provisional commencement date of spring 2026. Will he advise whether that start date is still achievable? If it is not, has a revised timetable been developed? The Minister likes to promote his environmental credentials. Continued delay in pressing forward with that major investment will only hamper efforts to transition to more efficient and safer fishing vessels and technology with a decreased carbon footprint. Our current harbours cannot facilitate more modern vessels, which are larger, deeper and wider than the existing fleet. Our fish producers and processors require greater capacity to adapt and evolve in order to tap into fresh opportunities and new markets. Turning specifically to our largest fishing harbour at Kilkeel, it is well recognised that having a new economic and marine activity centre there would bring far-reaching and lasting social and economic benefits. The hub would facilitate aquaculture, leisure boating and boat repair and decommissioning, and, with a deeper approach channel, would allow larger vessels to land. In the Minister's press release, he said that he looked forward:

"to engaging with the Northern Ireland fishing industry to explore options for fleet modernisation, sustainability and achieving net zero targets."

There are, however, even more pressing concerns. While those capital plans are incredibly important for the industry's medium- to long-term viability, immediate and medium-term grant support is critical to ensuring that fishing opportunities and operations are adequately supported. The industry is rolling towards potential crisis, and I urge the Minister to act. The first area relates to labour shortages and the proposed increase to the skilled worker visa salary threshold. The catching sector is already struggling to address labour shortages, particularly among UK residents, and the processing sector faces the same difficulties. As a result, the seafood sector is massively reliant on non-UK labour in the catching and processing sectors, with 82% of the nephrops fleet relying on non-UK labour compared with 75% of the static-gear fleet and 52% of the demersal bream trawl fleet. The new salary threshold would have a devastating impact on those fleets, particularly the nephrops fleet. It is estimated that the new threshold could result in operating losses of between £41,500 and £83,500, which would inevitably lead to business closures and increased prices for the consumer. The price paid to nephrops vessel operators would need to be increased by 33%; the price that processors charge retailers could increase by14·5%; and the price paid to food service sector buyers would need to increase by 15·6%. The quayside price for whitefish would need to increase by 9%. All that would impact on international competitiveness. It is estimated that the change in the salary threshold would see a reduction in operating and net-profit margins of 12 percentage points across the UK processing industry, meaning that the corresponding net-profit margin would be too low to provide an acceptable return, which would drive processing businesses away. Of course, that is in addition to other pressures, including energy price rises, minimum wage increases and raw material price increases. While our fishermen are skilled, the crews do not live in the UK permanently.

They do not want to bring their families, and they do not want accommodation onshore. They want to come to work and then return home to their families until the next fishing season. Attempting to shoehorn them into an expensive skill visa system presents an unachievable financial burden for the fishing vessel and, in a number of cases, an unachievable requirement for the fishermen to pass a written English exam. Disappointingly, the migration advisory committee (MAC) has not recommended that trawlermen be placed on the immigration salary list. Will the Minister seek to meet the Home Office to express these concerns and show his support for the fishing industry by advocating an immigration system for fishing crews modelled on the seasonal worker visa? Over and above these cost pressures, there is serious concern in the fishing industry in Northern Ireland about the reduction in the fishing grounds brought about by ineffective marine protection areas, offshore energy constructions, which have been seen to eradicate stocks of prawns and other crustaceans, and the proposed closing of huge swathes of waters by the Manx Government. The shrinking and closing of grounds will result in the overfishing of open territories and the ultimate decimation of our industry as the catch deteriorates. This would not be the case if the current waters were kept open, as they had been sustainably fished for over 70 years. The actions by the Manx Government are purportedly to protect carbon sequestration on mudbanks, but there is considerable doubt about that in the industry and a concern that these actions may relate more to the Isle of Man's plans to develop its own industry. I urge the Minister to engage urgently with DEFRA and the Isle of Man Minister to develop a sensible and proportionate solution that protects Northern Ireland's interests while allowing the Isle of Man to develop its own industry. The next challenge is the Irish Republic's proposals to ban bottom trawling in its 0-6-mile zone. Again, this is claimed to be in the name of environmentalism. Fishermen are responsible environmentalists. It is in their interests to fish sustainably, and the exclusion of bottom trawlers will disproportionately impact on our fishing industry. The industry is crying out for the Minister to advocate on its behalf to challenge these blanket bans. In conclusion, the industry needs the Maritime and Fisheries Fund reopened to allow it to innovate, grow and move towards net zero. It needs measures to address the labour shortage and an immigration system for fishing crews modelled on the seasonal worker visa. It needs the fulfilment of FSDP's harbours recommendations, the moving forward of the technical and environmental studies and the securing of the necessary finance. It needs immediate and medium-term grant support. It needs future policies and schemes of support that are co-designed with the industry. It needs a lasting solution that respects the status of Northern Ireland vessels fishing in UK waters. This will be key to providing the industry with the confidence, certainty and competitiveness to fulfil its potential and maximise the benefits of access to markets. Most of all, the industry needs this Minister and this Department to fight for it and have its best interests at heart as it meets the challenges that I outlined.

1,455 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 09:38 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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