‘Brazen’ British blockade of Rockall costing Greencastle fishers 25% and Irish squid fishery up to €6m-a-year

The Donegal TD told the Dáil the embargo could be costing the Irish squid fishery anything from €5 million to €6 million per annum

"I am raising the very serious issue of the waters around Rockall, which comprise a traditional fishing ground for Irish fishers. There was no concern prior to Brexit, with reciprocal fishing arrangements between both jurisdictions.

"However, for four years the British authorities have put a blockade around what is an uninhabited rock. Under international law, it is not permissible to put any kind of limit on this,” said the Buncrana-based TD, who urged the government to urgently open negotiations with a view to lifting the blockade.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Timmy Dooley replied: “Ireland has never made any claims to Rockall nor has Ireland ever recognised UK sovereignty claims over Rockall.

"Accordingly, Ireland has not recognised a 12-nautical-mile territorial sea around it. This remains the position of the Government, and that is well understood in this House.”

Mr. Dooley said the Government remains in regular contact with the Scottish and UK authorities regarding Rockall.

The minister acknowledged the seas around Rockall have been an important fishing ground for Irish fishers with haddock, sole, monkfish, as well as squid, target species.

"Irish vessels have traditionally fished for haddock, which is subject to a quota limit, and squid, which is not subject to a quota limit, in the waters around Rockall. Haddock may be caught both within and outside 12 nautical miles of Rockall, but squid is caught within six nautical miles of Rockall.

"Other stocks caught in the waters around Rockall, both within the 12-mile area and outside, are monkfish and megrim. That is something the Deputy is very well versed in,” he said.

Under the terms of the Brexit Trade & Cooperation Agreement (TCA) between the EU and the UK, Donegal fishers have not been granted licences to fish within the 12 mile limit.

Mr. Dooley said that in 2021 the seafood sector task force was established to examine the impacts of the EU-UK TCA and make recommendations on the mitigation strategy.

“The task force examined the impact of the loss of access to the waters around Rockall and estimated that Ireland's total squid fishery in 2019 was valued at around €6.6 million.

"The majority of squid was taken from the waters surrounding Rockall, and this amounted to 1,071 tonnes, valued in excess of €5 million, in 2019 and 371 tonnes, valued at €1.6 million, in 2020.

“Squid landings by Irish vessels from the Rockall area have varied considerably from year to year, ranging from under 300 tonnes in 2016 to more than 1,000 tonnes in 2017 and 2019.

“The sporadic nature of the fishery is consistent with squid's short lifespan and erratic recruitment dynamics. Given this variation, it is difficult to put a realistic estimate on what the value of the fishery since 2021 has been or could have been,” the minister stated.

Deputy Mac Lochlainn lamented what he described as ‘a major diplomatic failure in respect of this matter’.

"The British authorities have engaged in a brazen intervention. Rockall is an uninhabited rock. Unfortunately, after Brexit we passed the Maritime Jurisdiction Act, which incorporates a 2013 agreement that would have given the British control of the waters around Rockall but not the ability to impose a limit in respect of them, which would have been completely unreasonable.

“As stated, the Minister of State is new to his brief. I ask him to bring a fresh impetus to this issue and ensure that we go back at it again in a constructive manner. We cannot tolerate what is happening,” said the Sinn Féin TD.

Mr. Dooley said he would raise the matter with the European trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič.

"I am happy to have a discussion with the Deputy at his convenience. We can work together to try to move that diplomatic situation forward because, ultimately, it will be resolved in those quarters. I again thank the Deputy for his interest,” the minister.

Deputy Mac Lochlainn said: “It is not even just the Donegal fisherman based in Greencastle and Killybegs who would be seriously impacted. I understand that 25 per cent of the value of the fishery for Greencastle has been lost, but it also has an impact down in Castletownbere and the west of Ireland too, so this is an all-of-Ireland issue.

"I will engage with the various fishing organisations and talk to the Minister of State. We really need to challenge our diplomatic team. We have to do better here. It really is brazen. As the Minister of State has said, it has cost us anything from €5 million to €6 million per annum. When that is multiplied, it is a serious hit on an industry that is really struggling.”

British claims to ownership of the uninhabited rock, which is located 430 kilometres from Bloody Foreland and 461.5 kilometres from Ardnamurchan, the nearest point on the Scottish mainland, have never been recognised by Ireland.

These claims are seemingly based on the fact that the tiny rock is located 301.3 kilometres west of the uninhabited island of Soay in the Outer Hebrides off Scotland. It is 423 kilometres west of Tory.