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£700,000 Support to Support Northern Ireland’s Eel Industry
The scheme will pay eel fishers and hauliers £700,000 as officials say European eel stocks have fallen 90% to 95% since the 1980s.
- Rural Affairs Minister Andrew Muir announced the £700,000 Lough Neagh Eel Fishery Transition Scheme to support the fishery during a three-year closure beginning in 2026 aimed at aiding stock recovery.
- European eel populations have declined by around 90% to 95% since the 1980s, prompting the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea to advise zero catches of the critically endangered species.
- The scheme aims to retain specialist skills and capacity rather than decommission the industry, providing essential financial aid during this challenging period for local fishers and their families.
- Muir described the closure as "a much wider international conservation challenge," noting other European countries are also implementing significant fishing restrictions to address the critically endangered species.
- "Future management decisions will remain dependent on the scientific evidence," Muir said, as officials seek to preserve the workforce needed for a sustainable fishery once stocks recover.
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'The Lough Neagh eel fishery has supported generations of fishers' - £700k support scheme announced for Lough Neagh eel fishers
Lough Neagh eel fishers and hauliers are to receive a £700,000 financial support package in a bid to support a sustainable industry while conserving eel stocks, DAERA Minister Andrew Muir has announced.
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Total News Sources11
Leaning Left4Leaning Right0Center7Last UpdatedBias Distribution64% Center
Bias Distribution
- 64% of the sources are Center
64% Center
L 36%
C 64%
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