Paul Leeman, a spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Conservatives, has accused Sinn Féin’s fisheries minister, Michelle O’Neill, of “running roughshod over the interests of the Northern Ireland fishing industry” and pursuing “a blatant political agenda”.
Ms. O’Neill recently capitulated to an EU demand that Northern Ireland’s prawn trawlers should fit special gear, as part of the cod recovery plan, while DEFRA and the devolved administrations oppose “Swedish grid” equipment being imposed upon UK fishermen.
“As I understand it the minister has acted without conducting a proper consultation with the fishing industry here”, Paul remarked. “Although, in a letter to the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State responsible for fisheries, Richard Benyon MP, she was certainly very keen to give a false impression that fishermen in Northern Ireland were on board with her plans.”
“In truth Ms. O’Neill has acted completely contrary to the interests of the fishing industry in Northern Ireland. The equipment needed to make our fleet conform to this EU diktat is completely unsuitable for local vessels, which tend to be smaller, and for the waters which our fishermen work. Furthermore, there is very strong science to show that the number of cod caught by our prawn vessels is very small.”
“Up to this point DEFRA and the devolved administrations have presented a united front and stood up for the interests of fishermen affected by these regulations. Unfortunately, for the minister at Stormont, the interests of an industry which she is charged with protecting always seem to come second to her desire to make local policy different from the rest of the UK and harmonise it with the Republic of Ireland.”
“She should do her job properly and stand up for the Northern Ireland fishing industry, rather than sacrificing its interests to a blatant political agenda.”