Updated: 4pm
Three more Donegal ports have been designated as third-country ports under new measures announced by the Marine Minister.
Minister Charlie McConalogue has confirmed that Greencastle, Burtonport and Rathmullan will be opened to fishermen with UK registered vessels from 1st February.
Post-Brexit, fishermen with UK vessels could only land at Killybegs and Castletownbere in Cork with 24 hours notice. The issue has affected many Irish fishermen across the industry who bought their boats in Northern Ireland and had not changed to a southern licence.
Calls for more ‘third-country’ ports have been answered with new measures announced by Minister McConalogue today. The designation will come into effect on 1st February.
Greencastle, Rathmullan and Burtonport will be designated for non-quota species landings from vessels under 18 metres and will operate from 2pm to 8pm from Monday to Friday.
From 1st January 2021, the United Kingdom is a third country and subject to Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) legislation and North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) requirements. This means that any UK, including Northern Ireland, registered vessels must comply with third country landing requirements when landing in the EU, including Irish ports and is a direct result of Brexit and included in the Protocol on Ireland / Northern Ireland. Up until a conclusion of an agreement on the future relationship between the UK and the EU on Christmas Eve, it remained unclear whether Northern Ireland vessels that had access to Irish waters would continue to do so.
The Minister commented, “this is an important decision which will allow fishers in small vessels to continue their livelihoods in a safe manner.”
He went on to say “following Brexit, it is important now more than ever, to support our fishers and fishing communities and to do all we can do help them continue their livelihoods.”
Any UK Northern Ireland registered boats landing into any of the seven Irish ports will have to comply with additional documentary and procedural requirements than before Brexit. Designation of ports is within the State’s authority, but all requirements and protocols are subject to EU and international law and must be strictly adhered to to gain entry to ports.
The Minister concluded, “I thank the SFPA for its work to putting in place the arrangements necessary to provide for these additional port designations and I am glad that the outcome will mean that many of those fishers who were unable to operate following the outcome of Brexit will have now have the capacity to access a number of extra ports.”
