Member's statement: Fishing Communities: Isle of Man Immigration Rules

Member's statement by Miss Michelle McIlveen on 16 February 2026.

MLA

Miss Michelle McIlveen

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

16 February 2026

Type

Member's statement

Business

Members' Statements

Heading

Fishing Communities: Isle of Man Immigration Rules

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5391057

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I will highlight a matter of urgent concern for our fishing communities, particularly those in my constituency of Strangford and in south Down. Once again, their livelihoods are under threat as a result of action taken by the Isle of Man Government. New Manx immigration rules mean that any vessel operating with crew members holding a UK transit visa or a UK skilled worker visa cannot fish commercially in Manx territorial waters. If such a vessel does so, its owner is deemed to have committed an offence. In practical terms, crew members must now hold an Isle of Man visa to work in those waters. To secure such a visa, the employing business must be registered in the Isle of Man. The change will have a huge impact on local fishermen and businesses. For many years, our fleet has faced real and persistent difficulties in recruiting local crew. As a result, around 70% of those working on vessels registered in Northern Ireland are overseas workers. They work hard and contribute to our coastal economy, yet the new approach takes no account of that reality and places compliant vessels at a serious disadvantage. The consequences are evident: Northern Ireland vessels, despite having lawfully purchased licences and fished the waters for generations, will effectively be shut out from operating within the Isle of Man's 12-nautical-mile limit. That will be felt most sharply in the scallop and nephrop sectors, both of which are central to the viability of our trawl fleet. The challenge is not the first that our fleet has faced in Manx waters. Two years ago, exclusion zones were introduced that prevented Northern Ireland’s trawl fleet from accessing key fishing grounds. Those measures were presented on environmental grounds, but many in the industry believed that they disproportionately favoured Manx vessels. We now see a similar outcome achieved by different means, this time through immigration rules rather than fisheries policy. There has been little meaningful consultation, limited notice and scant regard for the economic circumstances of our fishing industry. The change comes at a time when the sector is already under severe pressure: fuel costs remain high, labour shortages persist and regulatory demands continue to grow. Many vessel owners operate on tight margins; removing access to traditional fishing grounds places their businesses in genuine jeopardy. I have written to the Minister responsible for fisheries, Andrew Muir, setting out the concerns and calling for urgent engagement. The Minister must bring industry representatives together without delay and open direct discussions with the Isle of Man authorities to seek a resolution. I have also written to the Isle of Man Government. Our fishermen are not asking for preferential treatment; they are asking for fairness, recognition of long-established fishing practice and firm support from the Minister.

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

Assessment

Not flagged

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 14:53 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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