Irish fishermen warn livelihood is on a tight line amid rising costs

Robert Kearney, an inshore fisherman from Inishowen, Co Donegal, describes the precarious state of his livelihood, where high-quality seafood exports to China and France barely cover escalating operational costs.

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This is a typical catch for August; there’s a lot of soft-shell crab on the ground [sea-bed]. We don’t have a big quantity of crab, but the quality is very high.

Kearney explains that a day's fishing, which once cost €400 for diesel and bait, now runs to €800. Simultaneously, the price fishermen receive for shellfish has dropped significantly, halving in the last five years. This squeeze makes it challenging to pay his four-person crew.

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This may look like a good catch; but it’s leaving it tight on the line for running costs. A boat of this size here today, for the diesel and the bait was €800.

"If it goes any further, I would nearly call it Armageddon for the inshore fleet - that’s how tight it is," Kearney warned. He highlighted that the local economy around piers like Leenan relies heavily on fishing, with an estimated three shore-based jobs for every one on a boat.

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Four years ago, we could take this boat to sea and a full day’s bait was €200 and a full day’s diesel was €200.

While acknowledging some government support, Kearney criticized the fuel subsidy scheme for its excessive "red tape and paperwork," likening the application process to "a week at school." He urged for simpler and more effective assistance with running costs and grant aid.

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The price of the shellfish seems to be coming down. It's balanced out now at half the price that it was five years ago.