Ireland South MEP Cynthia Ní Mhurchú is calling for a major EU funding package to protect Irish fishing and coastal communities, warning that without intervention they face irreversible decline.
She says Irish fishers continue to suffer from unfair quota allocations and argues that the EU must increase funding to strengthen their position in the supply chain and modernise the sector.
Ní Mhurchú has also criticised the continual reduction in EU fisheries supports, warning that this trend will devastate Irish coastal towns like Dingle and Baltimore.
She is urging the European Commission to apply the Hague Preference to boost Ireland’s share of key stocks a mechanism designed to recognise Ireland’s reliance on nearby waters and to compensate for granting other Member States access to its Exclusive Economic Zone.
According to the Ireland South MEP, “In one week alone in 2023, Norwegian boats caught over 40,000 tonnes of mackerel in EU waters. That is more than Ireland’s total allowable catch for 2025 and almost 4 times Ireland’s scientifically recommended quota for 2026. Norway are overfishing EU and Irish waters and this is impacting on coastal communities like Castletownbere, Dingle, Baltimore, Dunmore East, Killybegs, Kilmore Quay, An Rinn and many more.”
