NI fishermen satisfied with quotas following EU talks

Northern Ireland's fishermen say they are relatively happy with the outcome of an annual negotiation on catch quotas.

In an important move, the EU has agreed a 19% rise in the share of whiting.

Whiting is a potential so-called choke species in the waters fished by Northern Ireland vessels.

It alleviates the danger that boats may have had to tie up from May because they had inadvertently exhausted their whiting quota whilst fishing for prawn.

Fishing boats in Northern Ireland use selective nets in an attempt to avoid catching whiting while searching for prawn.

Several stocks such as cod and sole are up and though there is a substantial cut on paper to the key prawn quota, it is believed there should be limited impact on the amount of the commercial fish available.

In recent years fishermen have been given an extra quota of prawn to take account of an obligation to land everything that they catch.

Alan McCulla of the Anglo North Irish Fish Producers Organisation said the science now showed that undersized fish put back had a high survival rate.

Fishermen in Northern Ireland have concluded an annual negotiation with the EU on catch quotas

As a result fishermen had permission to return a portion of undersized prawn to the sea and the cut in overall quota reflected that fact.

Mr McCulla said that, with most Irish Sea stocks seeing quota increases for next year, Northern Ireland's fishermen were "now in a better place to take advantage of the opportunities Brexit will provide them".

Harry Wick of the Northern Ireland Fish Producers' Organisation said the increase in whiting quota was particularly important.

Mr Wick said the local fleet was "thoroughly committed to sustainable fishing" and welcomed the EU's decision to follow the scientific advice.

The Department for Agriculture and Environment said there had been a 32% cut in prawns to "stay within sustainable advice" but despite the reduction the available stock would "be sufficient and will maintain fishing at levels close to recent years".