Debate contribution: Fishing Industry: Capital Investment
Debate contribution by Mr William Irwin on .
- MLA
- Mr William Irwin
- 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 4237521
Read the official Assembly record
Text
This is an important debate for those in the fishing industry in Northern Ireland. I welcome the opportunity to make my contribution on the matter. The fishing industry in Northern Ireland is a resilient sector. One only has to look at the seas to see what fishermen experience. Being out on the high seas, often in unsettled weather, is worthy of our utmost respect, given the many dangers that they face when carrying out their work. I suspect that many of us who enjoy a fish supper from the local chippy or sit down to a fish dish at home or in a restaurant may not give much thought to how the fish ended up in the wrapper or on the plate. That deserves consideration, given the perils that fishermen face and the significant cost and risk they must absorb before making any reasonable profits for their efforts. Our fishermen deserve support in the broadest possible terms, and the industry deserves a strategy backed and funded by the Assembly and by Westminster that would meet the key requests set out in the motion. Mention was made of the fishing and seafood development programme, commissioned in 2019. That was an important piece of work as it laid out a course of much-needed public investment in Northern Ireland's harbour infrastructure. It included a plan for investment in Kilkeel to the tune of £73 million for a new harbour — an Irish fishing marine hub. It also included a proposed £20 million investment to improve access at Ardglass and a £5 million investment at Portavogie. My party was successful in securing permission for an outline business case to progress the vital technical and environmental studies that would have paved the way to moving the project forward. It is regrettable that even that preparatory work has been delayed due to the pressures on the public finances. It is easy to see why our industry is frustrated by that lack of progress when so much is at stake for it. It is vital that the work around that important project is stepped up and progressed at speed. I ask the Agriculture Minister for an urgent update on the matter and for clarity on the timelines and the funding that will be made available under that programme of work. The proposal for a £73 million spend at Kilkeel to create a new harbour and the fact that that would see it become an Irish Sea marine hub, is exciting. It is very much needed and will undoubtedly be a game changer for fishing into the future. It will also be important for tourism, aquaculture and the capacity for boat repair and decommissioning. Given that the Executive have been reformed and an AERA Minister is in place, there is a clear need now for conversations on the financing of the harbours project and for clear direction on the consultations and technical studies. There was an indication that September 2026 would be the start date. That is not far away in the calendar, so it is vital that the Minister gets to grips with his time frames and sets out clearly the direction for the industry for that project. The fishing industry is an important part of the economy in the coastal areas in which it is based. Estimates show that the industry has an annual turnover of approximately £135 million and supports around 1,500 jobs. With that firmly in mind and taking into account the existing proposals to move the industry forward, it is within reason to state that that outlook could easily be improved on. It would be good and positive for the local communities, who have a direct economic connection to the fishing industry, to see progress made on the fishing and seafood development programme. The industry does not want to stand still and should be supported to move forward. The motion refers to green growth, and it is clear that progress on green growth is directly related to the necessary improvements to our harbours, as I outlined.
Creating support for and a pathway to new fishing opportunities —
— goes hand in hand — I look forward to that happening.
696 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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