As 29 March draws nearer there is growing frustration in fishing communities over the uncertainty surrounding what is going to happen in the industry after Brexit.
In Inishowen in Co Donegal, there is concern that the free-flow of business north and south will be severely affected if there is a no-deal Brexit.
Skipper of the Foyle Warrior Frank McClenaghan is worried that he will be severely restricted in where he can fish, and might not even be able to fish, in waters out from his home port of Greencastle.
At present, when vessels like the Foyle Warrior land their catch on the pier in Greencastle, fish processors like Patsy Farren can buy the fish and take it back to base in Derry just a half an hour down the road.
Patsy is from Greencastle and runs a purpose built plant in Derry called Donegal Prime Fish, where his team fillet and prepare the fish for sale to the catering business across the north and Donegal.
The service makes life easier for chefs like Brian McDermott in The Foyle Hotel in Moville in Donegal, because it saves him time in terms of preparation for cooking.
Brian also buys direct from fishing vessels in Greencastle and if there is a no-deal Brexit he will be doing that much more often.
The problem for him and for processor Patsy Farren is that Brexit could bring back a border and with it would come tariffs and customs forms.
For Patsy, this would mean increased costs and administrative work in his business and he would have to reduce the number of times he travels back into Donegal to deliver fish.
One thing he won’t stop doing however, is buy fish from Greencastle or Killybegs, because he needs the supply.
He hopes and believes there will not actually be a Brexit but if there is he says he will have to sit down and figure things out but for now, with things still unclear, he says there is no Plan B.
Brian McDermott says the word in the industry is that there could be tariffs of between 11% and 26% on fish, which would have a huge impact on cost.
He is also concerned that reduced deliveries from Derry to restaurants like his in Donegal would impact negatively on business.
