Following the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union, commonly referred to as Brexit, the ripple effects have become tangible in Irish and French ports. More than 150 ships are affected across both nations, while a further 27 vessels may face losses in the coming months. Recent decisions in Paris and Dublin approved support measures and saw the scrapping of 90 and 57 fishing boats respectively, a response to quota shortfalls created by the shift in access to British waters. In Galicia, shipowners view a bottom fishing ban by the European Commission as a potentially irreparable blow, with some already calling for drastic steps. A Galician fishing leader told FARO that shrinking the fleet might be the only way to attract investment and keep some activity alive, or else the industry could perish.
France and Ireland are preparing to subsidize the fleet, with a proposed 145 million euros in aid; most of these boats are tied to Brittany and other coastal regions in France. The Agriculture and Fisheries Ministry has not finalized how much aid will be granted, which particular ships will receive it, or the overall cost and distribution details. These questions remain unanswered as governments weigh the best path forward in a difficult transition.
The truth is that decisions must be made about each fishing sector: what catches are viable, how fleets are performing, and whether scrapping some vessels is a prudent move. Ignacio Gandarias, the General Manager of Fisheries, spoke at the IX ARVI International Conference on the Future of Fisheries organized by the Vigo Shipowners Cooperative last July, as reported by its general manager Edelmiro Ulloa. Galicia’s shipowners estimate that scrapping around 22 ships would require about 30.5 million euros in support to cover the losses.
From the Xunta de Galicia, the Consellería do Mar responded to questions by reiterating that aid for vessel movement could be a tool to restructure the industry under pressure from the bottom fishing veto. Yet the region emphasizes that for the fleet to remain viable, the priority should be stronger and more ambitious measures aimed at minimizing vessel displacement while sustaining profitability and long-term resilience. The department, led by Rosa Quintana, highlighted the objective of facilitating a smoother transition and the importance of supporting generation change. Since 2009, efforts have focused on limiting fleet movements, with notable reductions when proposals to relocate more than ninety ships were scaled back by roughly a third.