Coastal communities in Conamara dependent on fishing face an uncertain year after the European Union slashed quotas for Ireland in 2026 – a move described as ‘catastrophic’ by the industry.

Minister for the Marine Timmy Dooley has conceded that the EU Fisheries Council deal that was struck in Brussels in December will have serious implications for fishing in Ireland.

Opposition TDs said quotas will reduce by one third resulting in lost livelihoods and the gutting of Ireland’s fishing industry.

“Ireland’s fishing opportunities for 2026 amount to approximately over 120,000 tonnes with an estimated first-sale value of €205 million. This represents a decrease of one third – €100 million to €105 million – on the estimated value of the 2025 quota,” Minister Dooley said.

“These figures reflect quota outcomes for Ireland across the main pelagic, demersal and nephrops stocks for 2026. As a result, while the overall scale of opportunity remains substantial, the distribution of quota across key stocks presents ongoing challenges for fleet planning, processing throughput and coastal communities that are highly dependent on specific fisheries,” he added.

The quotas cuts could have big implications in Conamara, where Ros a’ Mhíl is a big player in the industry. A state agency report published last year found that more than 200 workers were employed in 13 fish processing plants in the West (Galway and Clare) in 2024.

Fishing employed almost 2,000 people directly and indirectly in Galway and Clare and the value of fish landings in Ros an Mhíl in 2024 was €16m or 1,600 tonnes.

The Seafood Ireland Alliance (SIA) said the EU Fisheries Council’s December deal that cut quotas for mackerel and white fish was “a betrayal of Ireland’s fishing industry”.

The SIA claimed the Member States and European Commission “reneged on commitments embedded in the Common Fisheries Policy designed to protect our island’s reliance on fishing”.

It said the “consequences will be catastrophic”. It warned that more than 2,300 jobs in coastal communities face immediate danger, and the wider economic impacts could reach €200 million in 2026.

SIA said Ireland has been denied a long-standing insurance mechanism designed to prevent extreme quota cuts to the country’s basic fishing share.

This so-called ‘Hague Preference’ created in 1976 was designed to protect highly dependent fishing nations like Ireland but it was blocked by member states – including Germany and France – for the first time in almost 50 years of the Common Fisheries Policy.

Mayo TD Paul Lawless of Aontú said the new deal will result in cuts of up to 70% in mackerel quotas, a 41% reduction in blue whiting and a 22% reduction in boarfish.

Galway West TD Mairéad Farrell (SF) said the recent outcome of the EU’s Agriculture and Fisheries Council, was “disastrous for our fishing industry”, including in Ros a’ Mhíl.

“We need the Government to protect our fishermen and coastal communities, particularly those in the West, which is already recognised by the EU as a region that is underdeveloped and lagging behind other parts of Europe,” Deputy Farrell said.

“In real terms, we are looking at vessels that could be at sea for fewer than ten or 12 days a year and factories that once worked three to five months a year down to two or three weeks.

“Fish processing is a major employer in Galway, particularly in Conamara, and this would have a devastating effect on jobs in an area that is already struggling in terms of employment. Fishers in Galway are looking for the Government to expand the quota. This outcome would do just the opposite. We cannot afford to take this without a fight,” she added.

Speaking in Irish in the Dáil, she told the Minister and the Government to ‘stand up to Europe’ to protect livelihoods in the West, Conamara and Galway’s islands.

Aodh O’ Donnell of the Irish Fish Producers Organisation said: “If this protection cannot be honoured, why should Ireland continue to offer generous access to our rich fishing waters? The refusal raises serious questions about future cooperation with other European fishing industries.”

He said that similar to Brexit, when Britain left the EU, Ireland has been left carrying a burden created by others.

“This is unjust and shows the European Union in a very bad light in its failure to protect the interests of small Member States,” he added.

Bord Iascaigh Mhara said Ireland’s quota in 2026 had reduced by 60,000 tonnes, which represents a first-sale value of €102m, with mackerel quotas down by as much as 70%.

Ireland’s seafood development agency said this reduction will have a serious impact on coastal communities “highly dependent on specific fisheries”.

“The 2026 quota outcomes reflect the continued balancing act between maintaining viable fishing opportunities and protecting fish stocks in line with scientific advice under the Common Fisheries Policy. For Ireland, this reinforces the importance of maximising value from available quota and maintaining high standards of quality and market positioning,” BIM said.

Pictured: New deal will result in cuts of up to 70% in mackerel quotas.