'We need to get this right and the fishing industry desperately needs to be able to retain the people they have and attract additional people.'
A Brexit supporting councillor has labelled UK Home Office visa rules "absurd" and warned they could "destroy" Northern Ireland's seafood industry.
"Several of the processing factories in south Down are finding it very difficult as they just can't get the produce to process. "Then what do they do, these guys who are coming in on small boats, no ID, don't know anything about their background and they bring them in and put them up in four star hotels.
The current visa system does not recognise fishermen as seasonal workers, but rather skilled workers as fishing boats go out to the sea over nine months of the year or more. This has caused the fishing industry to suffer as they are unable to reach the new minimum wage demand of £38,700 in order to gain a skilled visa worker.
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