As reported by The Munster Express in recent weeks, it is widely believed that 2026 will be the worst year for Irish fishing ever, as the EU’s AGRIFISH Council has advised a 70% reduction in the total allowable catch for mackerel, a 41% reduction in blue whiting, and a 22% reduction in boarfish and further reductions on Dublin Bay prawns.
Under the Hague Preferences, Ireland is guaranteed a minimum catch in its own waters, but these were blocked at EU level by a group led by France and Germany, involving the Netherlands, and supported by Poland.
Speaking at a recent Plenary meeting of Waterford City and County Council, Sinn Féin Councillor John Hearne, raised the question of who owns our harbours, and asked if the Council could guarantee public access to prevent what he called a ‘creeping privatisation’.
“I see the creeping privatisation of our harbours and docks,” Cllr. Hearne said.
“Before, you could go down the end of Dunmore Pier, now there’s a barrier across and they’re blocking the walkway down. I’m concerned that kind of thing is happening all the time,” he said.
“Obviously, our fishing fleet will be gone, there’s no doubt about that in my mind. We will have an awful lot of places where we have access to harbours and piers that we didn’t have before … we will lose that way of life now, the fishermen – they know that. They just want rid of us [the fishermen].”
Cllr. Hearne added: “I’m wondering do we have a common policy for all our piers in Waterford, that nobody has single access – that it’s for everybody, not just for private companies? Pontoons, small boats, even old people or people in wheelchairs”.
In response, Michael Quinn, Director of Services for Economic Development responded positively, saying: “Dunmore East Harbour is a publicly owned piece of infrastructure, it is owned by the Department of Fisheries and the Department of the Marine. It is not operated or controlled by private sector or for profit, as such. Obviously, different uses are using the facility, but it is very definitely fully in public ownership”.
“We do encourage active use of our own harbours. We have a programme of work and we have appointed a senior engineer to work on that over the next 6 – 12 months in terms of improvements and enhancements to all our harbours and piers … we can put forward public access so it is considered in the terms of that programme of work,” Mr. Quinn added.
AARON KENT
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
