The Killybegs Fishermen's association has said it is not going to lie down and accept the deal on access to UK waters reached as part of the Brexit trade deal agreed yesterday.
Earlier, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney said under the deal, about a quarter of the fish Ireland catches in British waters would go back to the UK, compared to the 80% that had been sought.
The Irish fishing industry currently catches 60 per cent of its mackerel in particular, in UK waters. But Sean O'Donoghoe, chief executive of the fishermen's organisation, said they would now only get a 13 per cent share.
“It is totally unfair for mackerel that are spawned off the west coast of Ireland, 80 per cent of them. We’re now ending up with only a share of 13% and the UK has a share of 71%. This is totally unacceptable, and we’re not going to lie down and accept it,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Taoiseach, Michéal Martin, says the Brexit trade deal will protect the 'bread and butter' of Irish businesses who export to the UK.
Four years of negotiations and months of intense talks came to a close yesterday with the agreement. Both sides will now have to formally approve it, with the UK Labour Party committing not to block it when it reaches parliament there.
