Support for MP’s fisheries move

Support for MP’s fisheries move

5 December 2012

A CALL by South Down MP Margaret Ritchie for the Department of Agriculture’s Fisheries Division to be based in South Down is gathering support.

All services provided by the government department are due to transfer from their current base at Dundonald House in Belfast to Ballykelly in the north west of the Province as part of a major relocation initiative.

But the local MP argues the fisheries division should move to her constituency which is home to the fishing ports of Ardglass and Kilkeel and next door to the port of Portavogie in the Strangford constituency.

Miss Ritchie said moving the fisheries division to Ballykelly would mean departmental staff would be 100 miles away form the port of Kilkeel, describing this as a “matter of concern.”

Her call is being backed by councillor Dermot Curran, the chairman of a tri-council fisheries taskforce set up to represent the views of the fishermen based at the three Co. Down ports.

The group comprises industry representatives and politicians from Down, Newry and Mourne and Ards councils.

Councillor Curran said he does not understand the logic of having the fisheries division based so far away from the local ports.

“The proposal to move the fisheries division to Ballykelly does not make sense. Why have officers based there when the bread and butter fishing issues they have to deal with at the local ports are so far away?

“I’m totally supportive of Miss Ritchie’s call for the fisheries division to be based in South Down. Such a move not only makes economic sense, but is essential to ensure an effective and efficient fisheries division operation,” he continued.

Councillor Curran said for those within the fishing industry and those representing its interests, Ballykelly is an unacceptable and unmanageable distance to travel.

He added: “What’s needed is some good old fashioned common sense. Locating the fisheries division so far away is wrong and this particular aspect of DARD’s relocation must be looked at again.”