Debate contribution: Fishing Industry: Capital Investment

Debate contribution by Mr Andrew Muir on 27 February 2024.

MLA

Mr Andrew Muir

Party at the time

Alliance Party

Date

27 February 2024

Type

Debate contribution (made as a minister)

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Fishing Industry: Capital Investment

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4237592

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I will start by thanking Members for bringing the issues to the Floor for discussion. A number of points have been raised in the debate. I will seek to pick them up in my ministerial response. As Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, it is my strong desire to work with Members and the fisheries sector to safeguard and advance a sustainable fishing industry for years to come. I earnestly believe that that will be best achieved by collective action, direct liaison and partnership with industry stakeholders and their dependants. I am acutely aware of the risks faced by fishermen and fisherwomen every day at sea, navigating the vast expanse of the ocean, with its unpredictable weather patterns and formidable challenges, which serves as both their arena and their livelihood. Crews embark on their vessels each day not knowing what trials they may encounter, yet, despite those challenges, they persevere. I assure all Members that I recognise the vital role that the fishing industry plays in Northern Ireland's economy, cultural heritage and rural communities. In advance of the debate, I made a deliberate effort to engage. Last week, I went to Portavogie harbour, as Members have outlined. I also met the Northern Ireland Fishermen's Federation. I am conscious of the invite that I received last week from Diane Forsythe and other Members to visit Ardglass and Kilkeel harbours. I am keen to do that, and we are looking at how we can facilitate it. It is important that I contribute here but also that I engage with communities when I get out of Parliament Buildings. There is no doubt that the local fishing industry has experienced challenging times, especially over the past five years. The COVID pandemic impacted on fishing opportunities and markets and therefore profitability. More recently, increased input costs, especially the price of fuel, which rose significantly during 2022, has again impacted on the profitability of the fleet. I am pleased that, during the COVID pandemic, my Department was able to provide six schemes of financial assistance to assist the sea-fishing, inland-fishing and aquaculture sectors to remain viable during those challenging times. The industry must be commended for continuing to operate, especially during 2022, when the cost of fuel soared to over £1·10 per litre, and for successfully negotiating and securing an increase in market price for their landings, which, if they had not been covered, would have been devastating for the industry. While the current cost of red diesel for the fleet ranges between 70p and 80p per litre, that does not include the rebate provided annually by His Majesty's Revenue and Customs, called the marine voyages relief, which returns just under 10p per litre to vessel owners. There are limitations to securing an immediate uplift of fishing opportunities from quota species, given that quotas and rights are based, rightly, on the best scientific evidence. Industry and government must ensure that non-quota species are harvested at a sustainable level. We all have a duty to recognise that. However, we can support industry in taking measures that will help reinforce the long-term viability of our fisheries and ensure that they are economically and environmentally sustainable for the next generation. I say that they go hand in hand. My officials will continue to engage at a national and international level to ensure that Northern Ireland's fisheries interests are represented. They will continue to work with all stakeholders to bring forward policy that promotes positive change for the industry. It is reassuring to learn that the industry promotes itself as guardians of the marine environment: I saw that last week. That is not surprising, as healthy fish stocks are dependent on healthy ecosystems and restoring our seas to good environmental status will maximise longer-term opportunities and, ultimately, revenues and profits. Over the last few years, industry and my officials have worked well together to promote sustainability and reduce the impacts of fishing on the marine environment. A large number of industry-led schemes have been supported by my Department to underpin a sustainable industry. They include the appointment of a Northern Ireland gear technician to identify, in partnership with fishermen and fisherwomen and science providers, and trial more selective fishing gears and practices. The appointment of an industry sustainability officer has also been fully funded in order to progress issues which may impact on the current and future sustainability of the fleet and its operating environment. I encourage industry to continue on that path of co-management; indeed, it is pleasing to note that the industry itself, for stock sustainability reasons, has encouraged the introduction of two increases in the minimum landing size for brown crab that have been successfully introduced. I am committed to continuing the stakeholder engagement to ensure that the UK 'Joint Fisheries Statement' policies are implemented effectively and deliver a thriving, sustainable fishing industry for Northern Ireland whilst improving the marine environment. The development of fisheries management plans provides an important opportunity for Northern Ireland fisheries management, by enabling us to draw on the best available science and the expertise of our fishers and other stakeholders, to ensure that our fish stocks are healthy and sustainable into the long term. Officials from my Department are working closely with stakeholders and other UK Administrations to develop fishery management plans for our key fishing stocks. The fishery management plans will set out policies for maintaining stocks at sustainable levels or restoring them to those levels, if needed. I acknowledge the importance of fishing, recreational sea fishing and aquaculture in Northern Ireland to many of our coastal communities. That is highlighted in the 'Joint Fisheries Statement', which also emphasises the importance of working with the catching and processing sectors, along with their supply chains, on succession planning, training, access to domestic labour and fair remuneration to encourage new entrants. My Department is committed to promoting the consumption of locally sourced seafood as a healthy, high-quality protein source and supporting prosperous and resilient UK and international markets. In ongoing practical and financial support, I will shortly consider a draft five-year strategic plan for the support of the marine and fisheries sectors that, as well as offering support consistent with those themes available through previous EU funding programmes, should provide incentives to enable the industry to become more economically and environmentally resilient. Should the funding be secured to deliver the proposed scheme, there would be significantly more support available for industry annually over the next five years than was available under the recent European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. It all depends on the budgets that my Department is awarded. The emerging funding strategy was developed through initial engagement with and listening to industry on what the key issues were going to be over the next five years. I will seek to provide support on issues such as crewing, reducing input costs and the age of Northern Ireland's fishing fleet. The strategy will also consider the provision of financial support for industry-led initiatives that aim to encourage a career in fishing for new entrants, training and gaining of relevant qualifications. In addition, the strategy should include funding to reflect the age of many of the vessels in our fleet and the need to modernise or replace vessels with more modern equipment and technologies, including propulsion systems that will either reduce diesel fuel consumption or replace diesel as the primary means of power.

Yes, I am happy to.

I thank the Member for his contribution. I listened to his speech. The Member spoke about the cost of dealing with the challenges associated with climate change and with taking those opportunities. I ask the Member to also recognise that there is a cost of not doing anything on those issues. In the time ahead, we need to look at climate change as an opportunity for us to re-energise our economy and support industries. Other Members outlined that. We need to focus our minds differently in that area. Any new propulsion systems—.

I am going to continue.

I am going to continue. Any new propulsion systems need to be practical and safe for our vessels and fishers and will require extensive research to identify what will work best for our fleet. I am delighted that industry and government in Northern Ireland have already started work on that issue over the past two years, aiming to develop options to deliver a net zero fishing vessel for the local fleet. A working group meets regularly to progress that objective and is drawing expertise from Queen's University Belfast, local engineers and boatbuilders. It has established links with Norwegian stakeholders, who are considered to be world leaders in that field. Naturally, safety remains one of our key objectives — I argue that it is the top objective — for fishers and fishing vessels in what is generally recognised as one of the most dangerous occupations in the world. We will continue to support the industry in making improvements to safety on board fishing vessels through education and training to gain skills and professional qualifications, newer and more modern vessels, and improved operational and living conditions on board vessels. Members raised the subject of green growth. I am pleased to advise that the proposed funding strategy will focus extensively on providing support for projects that are aligned with the principles of green growth. That includes the objective of the fishery sector contributing to the achievement of net zero commitments; promoting the circular economy through initiatives, such as addressing end-of-life fishing vessels and gear; the disposal of environmental waste at and around ports; and the provision of clean power around the three primary fishing ports at Ardglass, Kilkeel and Portavogie. The draft strategy will also recognise the need for innovative initiatives on energy efficiency, mitigation of climate change and delivery of a blue-carbon action plan, which will require continuing collaboration between the industry, NGOs, science providers and governments. Members are asked to note that the funding strategy will cover more than sea fisheries stakeholders. It will provide support for developmental green-growth-focused initiatives and investments by inland fisheries, the aquaculture and processing sectors, port authorities and service providers that directly support the operation of the fisheries sector across Northern Ireland. In parallel to the initiatives that I will consider in the funding strategy, I will continue to progress the recommendations from the fishing and seafood development programme to prepare an outline business case for the infrastructural improvements at Kilkeel and Ardglass harbours. Members may be aware that the investment proposed as part of the harbour development programme is currently estimated to cost around £120 million to deliver, and that estimate was made before the recent inflationary rises. Due to the scale of the investment and these challenging times for the public purse, there needs to be a robust and comprehensive business case to allow a final decision on the viability of such an investment to be taken. To progress the matter, I am pleased that my Department secured approval from the Department of Finance to spend £1·47 million on the environmental and technical studies that are needed to inform the outline business case for the harbour development works at Kilkeel and Ardglass. In the coming weeks, Construction and Procurement Delivery (CPD) will advertise the invitation to tender for integrated consultant teams to progress those studies. In addition, my Department supported the Northern Ireland Fishery Harbour Authority in making a successful application to the UK Seafood Fund to deliver a £3·6 million upgrade to the current slipway facilities at Portavogie harbour. I hope that Members can gain reassurance that plans are in place to continue and, indeed, extend the support available to the industry in a manner that, as far as possible, takes on board the concerns that were expressed when the new funding strategy started to be developed. The proposals also cater for the need to increase focus on green growth, net zero and environmental protection and restoration. I have already been privileged to meet many people in my time as Minister — this is week 4 — and I look forward to engaging with more over the term ahead. I assure Members that I am supportive of all sectors of our fishing industry and appreciate the work undertaken by the industry, often in partnership and with full support, financial or otherwise, from my officials to date. I am content to record my support for the fishing industry through continued and extended financial support, should the funding be secured. I will respond to some issues that were raised. The most key issue for me is labour access and migration. A letter has gone to the Home Secretary, and it is very clear and direct about my concerns and the concerns of the sector and Members about what the Government are proposing. I have a concern that their proposals are driven more by ideological motivations and with an eye to an election rather than by the concerns of Northern Ireland or of the sectors that are affected as a result. I again urge the UK Government to reflect on that and to abandon what, to me, are devastating proposals. The issue of the 12-mile zone around the Isle of Man was raised, as were the concerns about fisheries in the Republic of Ireland. I met officials yesterday, and I am looking to convene a meeting of the British-Irish Council (BIC) so that we can discuss those issues in that forum. Patsy McGlone raised issues concerning Lough Neagh. I have engaged with people around Lough Neagh and have further engagements, particularly about fisheries, planned over the time ahead. Michelle McIlveen, in her opening remarks, raised the issue of whether the timetable of 2026 is viable for the commencement of the harbour development programme. As Members will be aware, the Assembly and the Executive did not sit for two years, so, given the absence of Ministers and the budgetary challenges, that has now been delayed for commencement until 2027. I will not shy away from my ministerial responsibilities to assist the industry in tackling key issues that may prevent a more economically and environmentally resilient industry from developing over time and being one of which we can be proud. I recognise that that will take a significant amount of time, investment and commitment and will mean working in partnership —

— to make the adjustments that are needed, but I wish to see delivery for the industry.

2,401 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

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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