The Minister of State for Fisheries, Tony Killeen, has announced that he is to open the fishing season for mackerel this week on an interim basis.
The season should have opened on the 16 January, but due to a legal challenge to quota allocation its start was delayed.
Mr Killeen tonight he had taken this step to safeguard processing jobs dependent on landings.
Up to 500 jobs on the west coast depend on the mackerel fishing season.



















