Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation

So, while the EU has taken the high moral ground and fished according to their historic quota share, others have simply taken the fish! #mackerel #UnsustainableFishing #SeafoodFromNorway #seafoodfromiceland #greenland #faroeislands #ukseafood

Norway and the Faroes have disregarded sharing agreements and awarded themselves inflated, unilateral quotas, part of which have been traded to the UK in return for access to Scottish waters. Through these ill-gotten gains the UK are complicit in the #overfishing of the stock.

Where have all the mackerel gone? The scientific advice for a 70% cut in mackerel catches was not surprising given the consistent warnings from the scientists. So why has management failed so badly when the science was so clear on what the outcome would be? Two reasons stand out

Skipper of the Vigilant, Marc Gallagher, was delighted to have St Catherines transition year student, Matthew Curran, out on a blue whiting trip for his work experience. Great to see the next generation taking an interest in the industry. #killybegs #irishfishingindustry

Resolution in sight for KFO’s objection to scientifically unsupported designation of offshore SACs #natura2000 #MPA kfo.ie/kfo-sac-appeal/

Eileen kept the family business going and today their son Martin skippers the vessel whilst their daughter Annette is the business manager. The Neptune’s crew includes Martin’s son John, Annette’s husband Owenie and James McGonagle who has fished with the family for over 50 years

Moving west to Owey Island and Kincasslagh, this week we feature the Neptune. The family business was started by the late John Oglesby, who tragically died on board the Neptune on 12 February 1988. #irishfishingindustry #killybegs Learn more kfo.ie/member/neptune…

The Brendelen welcomed a @MarineInst observer onboard for a blue whiting trip last week. Pictured with Michael Doherty, Patrick Oliver was catch sampling and verifying there was no #bycatch. Great to have independent monitoring and to collect data for the @CIBBRiNA project.

📢EBFA welcomes Commissioner Kadis' sensitive approach on #bottom_trawling 📋Coexistence of protected areas and bottom trawling should be assessed on a case-by-case basis and not based on general assumptions 📌Read our press article shorturl.at/k6Ix7 #MPAs #OceansPact

It's impossible to feature the Father McKee without mentioning the Brendelen and the Gill family from #greencastle. The families started fishing together 48 years ago on the Castle Queen and Bountiful and have maintained that partnership ever since. #irishfishingindustry

Marine Minister to Play Proactive Role on Fishing theskipper.ie/marine-ministe… via @SkipperEditor

This week we feature the Father McKee, owned by Michael Cavanagh who started fishing in the 1970’s and is well-known both afloat and ashore. These days his son Philip skippers the family vessel, which is crewed by family and friends from the local area. kfo.ie/member/father-…

Next we feature Greencastle's Northern Celt, owned by Adrian McClenaghan whose family have a long history of fishing. These days Adrian’s son, Shaun, and brother, Hugh, skipper the family vessel with the local crew including family and life-long friends kfo.ie/member/norther…

KFO members' family businesses are part of the fabric of the coastal communities in which they live and work. Starting with our chairman Ciaran Doherty’s family from Cruit Island, we’ll share their stories and the generational commitment they have made. kfo.ie/member/aine/

🛟 Every life matters: Safety first at sea Fishermen face challenging conditions every day. Our partnership with @RNLI through the Man Overboard Campaign focuses on life-saving skills and equipment to keep fishermen safe. Learn more: bim.ie/manoverboard/ #ManOverboard

The KFO also initiated the genetic study on the Northwest #herring in 2015, which developed a ground breaking method to distinguish the herring stocks spawning in Irish and Scottish waters. This was the foundation of the new assessment and the reopening of the fishery in 2023.

In 2010 the KFO initiated a project on the developing #boarfish fishery and has worked closely with the @MarineInst since to ensure that the required science was available to set sustainable catch limits. The boarfish stock has grown c.400% since 2019.

KFO members have a long history of contributing to the science that underpins #sustainablemanagement, demonstrating the value of industry knowledge and involvement in scientific data collection and stock assessment. kfo.ie/sustainability…