Written Evidence submitted by Mr Martin Leech (FSH0001)
I, and previous generations of my family, have ‘worked at sea’, mainly fishing commercially for wild salmon on the North Antrim Coast (Broad Isle, bag net, Portrush and Red Bay, draft net, Waterfoot).
Subsequently, I sold my salmon fishing rights to The North Atlantic Salmon Fund (NI) in order to conserve stocks of wild salmon. However, along with several members of my family, I am still engaged in fishing for lobster, crab, mackerel and herring on the Antrim Coast.
Hence my keen interest in contributing my views to the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee Fisheries Inquiry.
Terms of Reference
What opportunities and challenges will Northern Ireland face from leaving the Common Fisheries Policy?
I am of the opinion that Brexit offers many more opportunities than challenges to the fishing industry in Northern Ireland.
The Common Fisheries Policy has never done anything to promote or develop a commercial fishing industry along the Antrim Coast from Glenarm, Carnlough, Red Bay/Waterfoot to Cushendall.
This assertion is clearly evidenced by the long-standing dereliction of these Glens of Antrim coastal village ports. The fishing resource along this stretch of the Antrim Coast has, for political and historical reasons, never been fully exploited or managed. This is in full contrast to similarly sized European coastal villages which throughout the decades have regularly been landing fish catches.
Brexit, therefore, by no longer having to pay money into the European Union, offers the opportunity to establish viable fishing fleets for mackerel, herring, scallop, coley, cod, etc in each of these coastal towns referred to above.
The economic advantages are obvious – fish-processing, fish shops, cafes, sea-food restaurants, thereby enhancing tourism and creating employment in a notorious unemployment blackspot area.
‘The overall sea fishing sector in Northern Ireland’ would then employ many more than a mere ‘859 people’ and ‘boats which constitute the sea fishing industry … mainly located in the three County Down fishing villages of Portagovie, Kilkeel and Ardglass’, could also operate from the County Antrim fishing villages of Glenarm, Carnlough, Waterfoot and Cushendall. (Cf. Scope of the Inquiry).
How should the UK Government manage its fishery resources after Brexit?
For example. people in the UK and the Republic of Ireland should be able to buy prawns from locally caught sources instead of, as at present, having to purchase frozen prawns from farms in Thailand (especially since ‘The Northern Ireland fishing fleet is predominantly focussed on the catching of prawn’, Cf. Scope of the Inquiry).
To give another example, lobsters, which are caught locally, chiefly go for export, while supermarkets sell deep-frozen lobsters from Canada and Greenland.
Self-sufficiency in fish supply for the UK and the Republic of Ireland should be fundamental to managing fishery resources after Brexit. This would require a thorough review of present policies and practices regarding the importation and exportation of fish.
How could funding of fishing communities be improved?
Funding of fishing communities could be improved by offering grant aid to purchase fishing boats and to encourage entrepreneurship in businesses creation allied to fishing e.g. establishing processing facilities such as smoke houses etc.
How should the interests of the fishing industry in Northern Ireland be represented in the negotiations?
The interests of the fishing industry in Northern Ireland should be represented by the chosen leaders of Northern Ireland fishermen.
29 January 2018