Ministers launch Food Vision Seafood Sector Group
- Published on: 16 February 2026
- Last updated on: 16 February 2026
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, together with Minister of State with responsibility for Fisheries and the Marine, Timmy Dooley TD, have today jointly launched the Food Vision Seafood Sector Group.
Ireland’s seafood sector is vital to maintaining the economic viability of our rural coastal communities. The seafood sector also underpins the social fabric of coastal communities and helps deliver on environmental sustainability.
The Group, which has been established in response to significantly reduced fishing opportunities for the Irish fleet in 2026, will operate under the auspices of Food Vision 2030. It will consider the challenges facing all three components of the Irish seafood sector – catch fisheries, aquaculture and seafood processing. It is also tasked with developing a framework of measures to respond to these challenges.
Commenting at the launch Minister Heydon said:
“Food Vision 2030 is my Department’s strategy on positioning Ireland’s agri-food sector as a world leader in sustainable food systems. Our fishermen and women, our aquaculture producers are fundamental to the delivery of that Strategy. In that context, I consider it particularly appropriate that the economic, and indeed social, viability of the seafood sector is considered and addressed under Food Vision.”
Minister of State Dooley added:
“The outcomes of last December’s AgriFish Council were extremely disappointing for Ireland. Today’s meeting signals my steadfast commitment to addressing the challenges now facing the sector. Our fishermen and women both inshore and offshore, our processors and aquaculture producers and our fisheries co-operatives are the backbone of our rural coastal communities. My aim in establishing this Group is to harness their collective experience and expertise in developing a suite of measures that will support the sector through the challenging period ahead.”
Michael Berkery, former General Secretary of the Irish Farmer's Association, has been appointed to act as an independent Chairperson for this group and has been tasked with drafting a Chairman’s Report by June this year.
The seafood sector organisations attending the meeting were the Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation, the Irish Fish Producers Organisation, the Irish South and East Fish Producers Organisation, the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation, the National Inshore Fisherman’s Association, the six Regional Inshore Fisheries Forums, IFA Aquaculture, Co-operative representatives, the Irish Islands Marine Resource Organisation and the Irish Fish Processors and Exporters Association. The meeting was also attended by relevant Government Departments and State Agencies.
Note to editors
The legal basis for establishing fishing opportunities for 2026 is “Council Regulation fixing for 2026 the fishing opportunities in the Atlantic and the North Sea” otherwise known as the “TAC & Quota Regulation”. This regulation considers stocks in the Atlantic, North Sea and adjacent waters and includes fish stocks of relevance to Ireland. Most of the stocks covered by the TAC & Quota Regulation are shared with third countries, predominantly the UK and Norway.
The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) scientific advice upon which the total Allowable Catch (TAC) were based, indicated reductions in TAC for a number of stocks important to the Irish fleet, including Mackerel – Ireland’s most important pelagic stock. The advised 70% reduction in the TAC for mackerel reflects the impact of overfishing of the mackerel stock by certain third countries but is compounded by a 41% reduction in blue whiting and a 22% reduction in boarfish.
The reductions in TAC will significantly impact Ireland’s seafood sector.
The Food Vision Seafood Sector Group has been established to consider the challenges facing all three components of the seafood sector - catch fisheries, aquaculture and seafood processing - and to develop a framework of supports and actions to respond to these challenges, in line with the Terms of Reference of the group.
Further information on Food Vision 2030 is available at: Food Vision 2030 – A World Leader in Sustainable Food Systems