Minister Dooley meets Minister Jensen
- Published on: 29 August 2025
- Last updated on: 29 August 2025
In Copenhagen today, Minister of State for Fisheries and the Marine, Timmy Dooley TD, met with the Danish Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Jacob Jensen.
Minister Dooley extended his best wishes to Denmark, which currently holds the Presidency of the EU Council which was warmly welcomed by Minister Jensen. The meeting was an opportunity for Minister Dooley to highlight some of Ireland’s priorities ahead of the important annual fishing opportunity negotiations which take place in the autumn period.
Minister Dooley raised a particular concern for Ireland on whitefish stocks in the Celtic Sea:
“We have had zero catch advice for Celtic Sea cod and whiting for a number or years and now ICES is advising zero catch for Celtic Sea haddock. As these stocks are caught in a mixed fishery this scenario will be challenging. I assured Minister Jensen of Ireland’s willingness to work closely with his Presidency team on this and other challenging issues.”
Minister Dooley recognised the considerable progress made by the fishing industry over the last number of years in terms of sustainable fishing and the need to continue efforts to rebuild vulnerable stocks. He repeated his concerns around unsustainable fishing by some coastal states.
There was a discussion on the state of play on negotiations with Iceland. The ongoing discussions between the EU and Iceland are of significant importance to Ireland and the Minister took this opportunity to highlight Ireland’s concerns in this regard.
Minister Dooley reiterated the importance of the Hague Preference to Ireland. The Hagues are a fundamental part of relative stability and have been recognised as such in the Common Fisheries Policy legal framework.
The meeting is also part of the wider preparations for Ireland’s Presidency during the second half of 2026. Minister Dooley said:
“Next year, the annual fishing opportunity negotiations will be taking place during Ireland’s Presidency. Therefore, engaging with Member States on their concerns and priorities is an important part of the preparation for this role.”
Following the meeting, Minister Dooley said:
“I very much welcome the opportunity to have met Minister Jensen today and to share insights and draw on the experience of Denmark’s preparations for their term. I will be working closely with all my counterparts in the run up to Ireland’s EU Presidency in the second half of 2026.”