NI fishermen to be allowed to catch more prawns
- Published
Several thousand tonnes of prawns were landed in Northern Ireland ports last year
Northern Ireland's fishing fleet is to benefit from an increase in the amount of prawns it can catch.
It was agreed at an EU fisheries council meeting in Brussels.
About 100 vessels are involved in catching prawns and the new deal means they will have an annual quota of 7,200 tonnes.
That is an increase of 8.6%.
The Northern Ireland agriculture minister said she had assured the European Commission that the increase posed no threat to the sustainability of the prawn stock.
Trawlers are also able to catch more haddock in the Irish Sea.
The quota has gone up by a quarter.
The increase is worth an additional £220,000.