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The Newry, Mourne and Down District Council area has the biggest fishing fleet district in Northern Ireland and Councillors are debating a motion at the April full council meeting asking the government to relax its immigration laws due to a “severe shortage of seasonal workers”.
Our Council area is home to two major fishing harbours at Kilkeel and Ardglass. Concerns have been raised of a lack of staff available to the fishing ports due to Brexit restrictions on how long EU workers can stay in Northern Ireland.
Mournes Councillor Michael Rice will bring forward the motion. It reads: “This council recognises the acute pressures that the fisheries and aquaculture industries are currently under as a consequence of the severe shortage of seasonal workers.
“This council calls on the UK government to relax immigration rules to allow for visas for seasonal aquaculture to aid local businesses to acquire necessary workers.”
Currently seasonal workers from the EU are allowed to work in the UK for six months.
The council chamber has previously heard claims of foreign workers in Northern Ireland crossing over to the Republic of Ireland once their UK visas ran out, causing a further drain on resources in the north.
The motion is due to come before full council next Monday.
