Debate contribution: Fishing Industry: Ardglass

Debate contribution by Mrs Cathy Mason on 26 November 2024.

MLA

Mrs Cathy Mason

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

26 November 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Adjournment

Heading

Fishing Industry: Ardglass

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4677675

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.

I welcome the opportunity to propose this Adjournment topic to highlight the need to protect our fishing industry in Ardglass, which is a vital lifeline for our communities, our economy and, of course, for our heritage. The picturesque harbours of Ardglass, Kilkeel and Portavogie are not just hubs of activity: they are the beating heart of those coastal towns. They have supported livelihoods and sustained families for generations. I welcome to the Public Gallery a number of our fishermen who have travelled to watch the debate, such is their concern, their worry and their sheer dedication to their cause. I also welcome the fact that the Minister has taken the time to come along this afternoon to listen, and hopefully respond, to the debate. A number of months ago, along with colleagues, I was with the Minister in Ardglass, and I know that he is very well aware of the issues that the industry is facing, as well as the dedication of our fishermen to their industry. The industry is facing many challenges, and, to be quite honest, the fishermen are feeling completely neglected. For many years now, our local fishing fleet has relied on workers from Asia and Africa, with workers accessing transit visas or seasonal worker visas that give them the opportunity to secure employment with vessels in County Down and across the North. When I met the NI Fish Producers' Organisation (NIFPO), along with a representative group of fishermen, they made me aware that visas, in particular the seasonal worker visa allocations for 2025, are the key issue that is facing the sector. If that issue is not rectified, it will force the majority of our local fleet to tie up their vessels as, understandably, they cannot afford the punitive penalties if they are found to be in breach of regulations, and they cannot find other staffing arrangements in order to ensure that their boats are safely staffed. That will be catastrophic for our local industry, with severe human and financial consequences for workers, families and the wider economy. The fishing industry should be granted the same flexibility that has been shown to the horticulture, poultry, salmon and offshore energy industries. Staff shortages in the sector mean that 30% of quotas could be left uncaught. That reduction in yield, paired with the low cost per kilo of catch, means that the average boat owner cannot see the financial viability of the sector. With astronomical prices in the supermarkets, the fishing industry has been bled dry and is struggling to survive as it is. Our fishing communities are now at a crossroads. Either the British Government continue to ignore the appeals of the fishing industry and push it further down the path of neglect and socio-economic deprivation, or they recognise, as we do, that with considered, sensible and, let us face it, minor policy tweaks, the future of the industry will be bright enough to support its communities for generations to come. The NI Fish Producers' Organisation was due to publish a report today on the fishing industry's potential for sustainable growth. It highlights that were stability in the labour market to be achieved, growth potential could mean an extra £16·1 million of revenue generated in our local fishing ports. Economic growth seems to be the British Government's new mantra. The message to the British Treasury is that there is clear growth potential, and it is there, but it is going to require the Home Office to meet the North's fishing communities halfway and offer them support. The Government have two choices: either they continue to turn their back on our fishing communities and the 48·7% growth that they can deliver, according to that report, or they offer the fishermen the same flexibility that they have already offered to people who are working in fruit picking, vegetable picking, poultry processing and many other industries. Will the Minister confirm that the opportunity for economic growth in the fishing industry, should those labour issues be resolved, is an argument that he is fully outlining to his Westminster counterparts? This debate is not just about policy intervention. It is about the ordinary people who rely on the sector. It is about the fishermen who get up at the crack of dawn, braving the elements, to bring in their yield. It is about the workers in our processing plants who ensure that fish from the Irish Sea reaches plates across Ireland, Europe and beyond. It is about the communities that rally round those industries in which every job loss ripples through local economies. I thank all my South Down colleagues and those across the Chamber from neighbouring constituencies for staying to take part in the debate this afternoon. The issue is cross-cutting, and we must unite and work together on it. I sincerely hope that the message that comes out of the debate is that we must invest in our fishing industry; modernise infrastructure; improve access to funding; enhance facilities for storage and processing; and address the issues that we will raise today that put the sector under extreme pressure. I look forward to hearing Members' contributions and the Minister's response.

866 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:36 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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