Prawn fishermen: NI catch quota cut by 15%

Prawns account for almost half the value of the total Northern Ireland catch

Fishermen in Northern Ireland are facing a cut in the number of prawns they can catch in the Irish Sea next year.

The 15% reduction in quota was agreed at an EU Fisheries Council meeting on Tuesday night.

It comes on top of a significant cut agreed the previous year.

Prawns are the most important stock, accounting for almost half the value of the total Northern Ireland catch.

Alan McCulla of the Anglo-North Irish Fish Producers Organisation said it would it would make 2020 a "difficult year".

He said prawn stocks in the Irish Sea were good, but due to issues with the species further afield, fishermen in the County Down ports were being asked to "share the pain".

It is likely to be the last time the UK will be bound by the annual quota negotiations.

Once Brexit happens there will have to be a deal between the EU and the UK on fisheries.

That's likely to cover access to EU markets for fish caught by the UK fleet.

Once Brexit happens there will have to be a deal between the EU and the UK about fisheries

The extent to which EU vessels can fish in UK waters will also have to be agreed.

UK vessels export lots of what they catch to EU markets and EU vessels take much of their catch from UK waters.

But fishermen have said there should be separate agreements and not a trade-off of market access for fishing access.

As well as prawns, shellfish such as scallops and crabs are also very important to the industry in Northern Ireland and are not subject to quotas.

The fishing industry, including catching and processing, sustains almost 2,000 jobs in Northern Ireland, three quarters of them full-time.