McConalogue announces opening of Brexit Tie-up Scheme for fishing fleet

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue announced the launch of a Brexit Temporary Fleet Tie-up Scheme yesterday.

The scheme will help mitigate the impacts of quota cuts on the fishing fleet arising from the Trade and Cooperation Agreement agreed in December between the European Union and the UK.  The scheme delivers on a recommendation of the Seafood Sector Task Force in its June 2021 Interim Report.  The scheme is targeted at white fish vessels in the Polyvalent and Beam Trawl segments.

The Minister said:  'Arising from the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the UK, Ireland is set to lose 26,412 tonnes of quota per year on a phased basis up to 2026, valued at around €43 million.  These quota cuts affect many of our most valuable fish stocks and have significant impacts for incomes in our fishing fleet in 2021.  The Task Force I established in March has carefully considered this issue and recommended in its June 2021 Interim Report that a temporary fleet tie-up scheme should be implemented for the whitefish fleet to make best use of the reduced quota available in 2021 and to ensure continuity of supply throughout the remainder of this year.'

The Minister went on to say: 'The scheme I am launching today will invite vessels in the polyvalent and beam trawl segments to tie-up for a one-month period during October to December 2021.  These vessels would tie-up at the quayside and cease all fishing activity for that month.  In return, the vessel owner would receive a payment compensating for the lost fishing income.  The vessel owners will in turn be required to distribute one third of that payment to crew.  The following payment rates will apply.'

The Scheme will be administered by Bord Iascaigh Mhara and further details will be available from BIM in due course at https://bim.ie/fisheries/funding/.