’Inshore fishermen are struggling to survive’ - councillor calls for support package - Donegal Daily

The Inshore Fishing sector could soon become a thing of the past if the government doesn’t provide the sector with financial support.

A Donegal councillor have said that the Inshore fishing industry in Donegal is at breaking point.

Sinn Féin councillor Noel Jordan tabled a motion that called for support on a deal that could keep the beleaguered sector alive.

The National Inshore Fishermen's Association (NIFA) is seeking an Inshore Fisheries Income Stabilisation and Climate Compensation Scheme to protect small-scale fishers and coastal communities.

NIFA are looking for a financial package to tune of €35m to keep the industry afloat.

Jordan said it was crucial they get the much-needed investment to offset soaring costs in the current climate - and tabled a motion of support for the deal at a meeting of the Donegal Municipal District on Tuesday.

"There has been a continuous demise in the inshore fishing sector over the years, but what they are asking for is very fair in my opinion. The National Inshore Fishing Association (NIFA) has drafted a well-structured document that is on Minister Dooley's table to look at.

"We all know that in the recent budget there was a package worth €174m, and Minister Dooley has since said he has managed to get an extra €20m on it. I see this as an opportunity for some of that money to be spent on Inshore fisheries, because at the present moment they are struggling to survive," said Jordan.

Jordan highlighted how inshore fishermen in the Inver area are finding it tougher and tougher to maintain a living.

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"The cost of fuel and bait is through the roof, and it's almost impossible to make a living out of it. What they are looking for is very fair. They are seeking a package to stabilise the industry as a whole, and I feel now is the opportunity to address that."

The issue is a personal one for the Sinn Féin councillor, as his father was an inshore fisherman, but Jordan acknowledged how times have changed.

"I believe that inshore fishing is the backbone of our coastal communities. My late father was an inshore fisherman, and we had a big, big family, but he was able to feed that family through the earnings of inshore fishing. However, that's a lifetime ago now.

"People are struggling to make ends meet, and the inshore fishing industry desperately needs this investment in order to survive," said Jordan.