Did you find what you were looking for?

Find what you were looking for?

Help us improve AI search results by giving yourfeedback.

From:Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, TD, and Minister of State with responsibility for Fisheries at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Timmy Dooley, TD, hosted the meeting, which was also attended by the Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, the Vice-Chair of the European Parliament Fisheries Committee, Paulo Do Nascimento Cabral, as well as delegations from across EU Member States.

Mr. John Lynch, a fisherman from Howth, Co. Dublin, addressed the meeting and shared his clear and insightful views on the measures needed to support generational renewal across the sector.

Speaking at the meeting, Minister Heydon, said:

The Irish Presidency believes that enabling generational renewal is the pathway to a sustainable future for fisheries and aquaculture in the EU. I can think of no finer location than Cork for us to gather today to discuss the ways in which we can and should seek measures to enable generational renewal so that our seafood sectors can be strong, agile and resilient into the future.

Addressing the meeting, Minister of State Dooley, said:

“In order to bring this discussion forward, the Irish Presidency is asking Ministers to consider the contribution of the EU fisheries legislative framework to generational renewal, the actions needed to improve working conditions and safety across the sector, and the ways in which the EU should support the economic competitiveness of the seafood sector beyond 2028.”

“There is a multiplicity of interlinking factors impacting the attractiveness of the sector and indeed hindering generational renewal. The sector faces many challenges and yet, despite these challenges, there is room to improve competitiveness, to increase efficiency, to develop existing and emerging market opportunities, while also contributing to European environmental goals. To fully avail of these opportunities, and to support the next generation of fishermen and fisherwomen, the Union needs to position its seafood sector to be strong, agile and resilient.

“While across European aquaculture total employment remained stable, that stability has not equated to the growth and development of the sector. Across fish processing, while the total number of people engaged in processing has increased since 2014 (+9.5%), the increase is not distributed equally across Member States. If we are serious about ensuring a sustainable future for fisheries and aquaculture, then we must provide a genuine entry pathway for young people who are considering a career in the seafood sector.”