Whales have left Cork waters as sprat, their food source, is in short supply, a Cork-based businessman has said after abandoning tours of the waters.
Colin Barnes, who ran a whale-watching boat tour company, has been put out of business after the departure of the cetaceans.
Mr Barnes, who ran the company since 2001, said: “There are only a few whales left - the water is overfished.”
Previously, he worked in commercial fishing but gave that up when fishing stocks started to crash. “It wasn’t something I wanted to be a part of,” he said.
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When he first started Cork Whale Watch, his was the only boat engaged in such tourism. “People looked at me like I was mad,” he said.
The business had been a “raging success” but he says it can no longer offer “world-class whale-watching”.
He explained that the issue is that sprat, an important food source for larger fish, sea birds, seals, dolphins and whales, is being overfished by “a few greedy morons on huge trawlers”.
“The issue has been going on for over 30 years.”
Fishing for sprat was uncommon until the 1980s, he said, but it is now used to make pellets to feed farmed salmon or to add protein to animal feed.
“It’s a very important fish, it feeds on plankton and fed the whole ocean,” he said.
There is no protection for sprat as, he says, it is “unimportant and sold for very low prices”.
Mr Barnes used the example that sprat is sold for 15 cent per kilogram while rubbish makes 18 cent per kilogram. “It’s worth less than rubbish... It’s low value so they have to catch loads for money.”
Soon, there will be lovely harbours but no fishing boats
— Colin Barnes
He explained that trawlers only fish for sprat when they are spawning, usually in September and October. During this time, the sprat pack themselves together which allows trawlers to catch many of them at once. Often, two trawlers work together, which is known as pair trawling.
“An ecological disaster” is how Mr Barnes refers to the issue.
He first figured out that sprat was being overfished and affecting the number of whales and other sealife in the water in 2008. He wrote a paper, which he published in his Skipper’s Log on the Cork Whale Watch website. He says his findings “fell on deaf ears”, adding: “It’s a very sad state of affairs.”
In 2022 and 2023, depletion of stocks was noticeable, while last year he says the waters were “abysmal”. This year is “no better”.
He said: “Dolphins and hump whales are gone. I’ve given it up in disgust. There is loads of plankton but the bird life is gone and the fish are gone. It’s an empty, lifeless sea.
“It was probably one of the richest seas in the British Isles – that’s why I came to Ireland 53 years ago.”
Now, he claims, the whole fishing industry is “crashing”.
“Soon, there will be lovely harbours but no fishing boats. There will be no fishing stock left.”
In 2019, the government attempted to end pair trawling for sprat by large vessels, but the ban was struck down by a High Court appeal and was held up in the appeal court.
This allowed large trawlers to resume trawling for sprat, with no requirement for authorisation, inside the six nautical mile zone.
In 2024, then-minister for the marine, Charlie McConalogue, launched a public consultation to invite views on introducing the ban again. It attracted more than 5,500 submissions.
A spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine said: “The Programme for Government commits to maintaining support for our important inshore fishing sector and promoting the sustainability of fish stocks.
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“In December 2018, a transition period to a ban on vessels over 18 metres trawling in inshore waters, inside the six nautical mile zone and the baselines, was announced. A significant part of the objective of this measure was to manage the fishing effort on sprat stocks which are primarily targeted within inshore waters. This measure, however, was the subject of extended legal proceedings resulting in the measure being overturned in 2023.
“In February 2024, the Minister of Agriculture, Food and the Marine held a new public consultation on a review of trawling activity inside the six nautical mile zone and the baselines. This consultation took place without prejudice.
“Over 5,500 submissions were received. These submissions, along with updated scientific and economic advice from the Marine Institute and Bord Iascaigh Mhara are being used to inform a review of trawling activity inside the six nautical mile zone and baselines. All relevant issues will be carefully considered before a decision is made.”
