The cry ‘We’re going to get our fisheries back!’ is one of the jewels in the crown of the Brexiteers. In this blog, I want to lay out the reasons why I do not quite buy it.
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| Cleaning nets in Nazare. |
For a start, let me say that the principal foes of the fish stocks, and therefore of the fishermen, have relatively little to do with competition from ‘foreign’ fisherman. I campaigned for a 50 mile exclusive Irish limit back in the '70s, but frankly I do not believe things would be any better today if we had one. I watched Donegal Bay and the north coast of Mayo being reduced from a very rich fishing ground to a virtual desert with little help from abroad.
The reasons for this disaster are deeply embedded in our whole cultural set-up, which has been orientated to the ruthless exploitation of nature within a regime of cut-throat competition and unbridled technology. Visible manifestations of this culture include global warming, ocean acidification and plastic pollution, and the enrichment of the few at the expense of the many.
The reasons for this disaster are deeply embedded in our whole cultural set-up, which has been orientated to the ruthless exploitation of nature within a regime of cut-throat competition and unbridled technology. Visible manifestations of this culture include global warming, ocean acidification and plastic pollution, and the enrichment of the few at the expense of the many.
Perhaps the most serious loss of all is that of the restraint which has been known to prevail in wiser and more holistic cultures, born of the awareness that while there is sufficient in the world for everyone’s need, not so for their greed. Let us hope that the culture of exploitation has reached its apotheosis with the present incumbent of the White House. Whether the European Union is capable of rising to the challenge of developing an alternative remains to be seen, but the principal of competition, of having bigger and better ships than the other lot and so on, is built into that kind of nationalism. ‘There is no luck in greed’ used to be said in Ireland, but to overcome it calls for humility and rationality and objectivity, all qualities that are vital in the building up of any community.
On a purely geographic level, what we are talking about in the case of our sea fisheries is the management of the continental shelf. This must be managed as a whole, if it is to be managed effectively - though to do so demands both of those foundational principles of the EU, solidarity and subsidiarity, and the latter in particular remains in many respects more aspirational than otherwise.
We may however recall that, given a supply of fish, the economic success of any fishing industry depends above all on the markets that are available to it, and in particular those of Britain and Ireland depend heavily on continental markets. Grimsby for instance functions on the European level as a hub for processing and distribution. One may easily imagine the damage that delays at ferry ports could do.
We may however recall that, given a supply of fish, the economic success of any fishing industry depends above all on the markets that are available to it, and in particular those of Britain and Ireland depend heavily on continental markets. Grimsby for instance functions on the European level as a hub for processing and distribution. One may easily imagine the damage that delays at ferry ports could do.
The astounding technology employed by even small boats is of course produced on a global scale, but even so, there are many advantages in distributing and supporting it, if not actually producing it, at a continental level. Allied to this is the whole matter of research. Again, the development of effective management very much depends on a great deal of research, better undertaken within a continental context; however, it also depends on a sense of stewardship and indeed ownership at the local level, and in this respect one may well question whether the EU has succeeded in living up to its own principle of subsidiarity.
Big industrial fishing companies tend to have a degree of political clout wholly lacking to coastal fishing communities; to counter such bias strong counter-measures are called for. Some fairly simple ground rules would go a long way to do this, such as not allowing vessels over 10m l.o.a. to fish within 6 miles of the coast, nor vessels over 20m within 12 miles of it. Also needed are strong coastal organisations, which involve local stakeholders in conservation measures such as the establishment and maintenance of marine reserves. The present situation, whereby artisanal coastal fishermen find themselves prevented from fishing even where foreign industrial trawlers are doing so, or compelled to dump certain species back into the sea, is intolerable and must be reversed.
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| Mounting a net in Nazare. |
Such unjust competition fosters the mindset of nationalism, which has competitiveness built into it. We are at a point in history where it is absolutely imperative to replace competitive exploitation with shared stewardship. It is a whole new culture that we have to develop, and if we do succeed, there is no doubt that, not alone, our coastal communities will recover their vitality and health!
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| A handy craft! |
Meanwhile, the Fundit campaign to restore the 'Anna M' (from which the above photo was taken) goes on, and urgently needs support. See:
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I welcome feedback.... Joe