The future livelihoods of local fishermen are under threat following the Isle of Man government’s new restrictions on fishermen working in their waters. That is the message from a local representative for fishermen in this area.
Under the new rules, any vessel with crew working under a transit visa or a UK Skilled Worker Visa cannot fish commercially in Manx waters, which extend 12 nautical miles from the island. Fishing crews must hold an Isle of Man visa, which can only be secured if the business itself is Manx-registered. Owners of vessels without such a licence risk committing an offence if they fish in Manx waters.
It has been estimated that over 70 per cent of the Northern Ireland fleet is dependent on foreign workers on visas. As a result, vessels from Kilkeel, Ardglass and Portavogie are now unable to operate in these fishing grounds close to the Isle of Man.
Annalong’s Brian Chambers, CEO of the Anglo Northern Ireland Fish Producers Organisation, explained that these rules came as a surprise and have already cost their members money. “I received several calls from members on Wednesday who are very concerned, as we have fished these waters for generations and adhered to all the Manx regulations, even paying for a specific permit to fish within Isle of Man territorial waters,” Brian said.
“We were not consulted on this, and many members have recently renewed their permits, only to find out now that, although they have paid to fish legally, they cannot make use of the permits.”
Brian added that members pay £422 to the Manx government for a permit to fish in Manx waters, even though Manx boats can fish in UK and Northern Ireland waters at no charge. He said: “Our members are under relentless spatial squeeze, having lost access to Irish waters from 6–12 miles as a result of Brexit, and are under pressure from Marine Protected Areas and offshore renewable energy projects. This further blow from the Isle of Man adds pressure and stress to an industry which is doing its best to provide food security and sustainably provide jobs in our local coastal communities.”
The Isle of Man, as a Crown Dependency with its own immigration system, is entitled to set its own entry and employment rules. It was reported in The Irish News last week that officials from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) met with Manx authorities in an effort to resolve the matter.
Strangford MLA Michelle McIlveen, a former DAERA minister, last week demanded urgent action. She said: “The implementation of these rules will, in effect, remove all Northern Ireland vessels from fishing within 12 nautical miles of the Isle of Man, despite having purchased permits to fish there. This is a devastating blow for an industry already under extreme pressure. This change has come without consultation or advance warning. This appears to be another phase of fishery protectionism from the Isle of Man Government. Minister Muir [DAERA] cannot drag his feet on this issue. I have written to the Minister to outline this issue and asked for action to press for a reversal. He needs to stand up for our fishing industry. I have also requested that he meets with industry representatives as a matter of urgency.”
MLA for South Down Diane Forsythe added on social media: “The Minister needs to take action on this. This change will, in effect, remove all Northern Ireland vessels from fishing within 12 nautical miles of the Isle of Man despite them having purchased permits to fish there.”
Responding to the news, the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) said the local fishing industry has “just been hit with yet another hammer blow.” A joint statement from South Down TUV members Colin Hillis and Harold McKee called on DAERA Minister Andrew Muir to “take action” to help the local fleet.
“The entire industry is now facing a perfect storm, including massive slashes to quota, sector shutdowns, reduced access in Irish waters, and now immigration law impacts in Isle of Man waters. For a fishing fleet that was once the most dominant in the Irish Sea, it is now facing decimation and there isn’t even a pathway out for vessel owners. The Minister must not sit on his hands or hand-wring any more. He needs to take urgent action, stop ignoring the fishing industry problems…and he needs to do it now!”
