The outcomes of the December 2025 Fisheries Council will, regrettably, result in reduced fishing opportunities for Ireland's fishermen and women in 2026.
The most significant reduction relates to the Mackerel quota and, as this is Ireland's most important pelagic stock, this will present ongoing challenges for our seafood sector and the coastal communities that depend upon it.
I have consistently highlighted the need for the EU to take concrete steps to protect the Mackerel stock and to robustly defend the EU's share at the ongoing Coastal States negotiations on a new sharing arrangement for Mackerel. I am also engaging regularly with the Fisheries Commissioner, Costal Kadis, on this matter.
Regarding Ireland's quota share, any change to the existing system of quota allocations would require a majority of Member States to agree under the qualified majority voting system. This would require other Member States to give up existing quota shares. Any change to relative stability would involve a loss for some other Member States and therefore poses particular challenges in a qualified majority voting context. Nonetheless, I will continue to pursue every opportunity at EU level to increase the available quotas for our fishing fleet.
Given the level of the challenges posed by the reduction in Ireland’s fishing opportunities for 2026, a whole of Government approach is required for an effective response. Minister Heydon and I have committed to engaging with colleagues across Government to assess what framework of supports may be available to the seafood sector, to explore options within the constraints of both EU and national Exchequer funding and the relevant EU and national legislation, and in particular taking account of the constraints imposed by EU state aid rules for the fisheries sector.
To facilitate this cross-Governmental approach, together with Minister Heydon, I have established a working group under the auspices of Food Vision 2030.
This Group will consider the challenges facing all three components of the Irish seafood sector – catch fisheries, aquaculture and seafood processing. The Group’s overarching objective is to identify and develop a framework of measures to respond to these current challenges. In doing so, I encourage the Group to identify solutions to improve competitiveness and efficiency; to develop existing market opportunities; to consider how the sector can contribute to our national environmental goals; and to consider where the sector can innovate.
The Group's Chair, Mr. Michael Berkery, has been tasked with drafting a Chairman's Report by June this year.
