Ahern's marine duties in need of attention

Business Opinion: Here is a hypothetical question. Two men ring the Department of Communications, the Marine and Natural Resources looking for a meeting with the Minister, Mr Ahern.

Mr A runs a company that is based in west Dublin, employs 3,200 people directly and another 1,000 on contract.

Mr B is a representative of an industry that gives employment to up to 25,000 people, mostly in rural areas.

Which one gets the meeting? My money is on Mr A who is, of course, Mr Jim O'Hara, the general manger of Intel Ireland. Mr B on the other hand is Mr Lorcan Ó Cinnéide, the chief executive of the Irish Fish Producers' Organisation.

Mr Ahern's disengagement from the fisheries aspect of his brief now seems almost complete. Two weeks ago he got up to address the party faithful at the Fianna Fáil ardfheis.

The word marine features only once in the 1,500-word script and that is at the start, were Mr Ahern's title is given in full.

The speech was devoted entirely to Mr Ahern's messianic vision of a broadband Ireland where every family will be online, emigration is but a distant memory and Malin will "compete with Manhattan".

The address completely ignored an industry that actually provides jobs in Malin at the moment and numerous other small towns and villages along the coast.

In one way, it is not surprising. Ardfheis speeches are all about celebrating achievements, real or otherwise, and Mr Ahern does not have very much to boast about on the marine front.

The day after the ardfheis he departed for Luxembourg and the EU Fisheries Council where he oversaw the administration of a coup de grace to the Irish box, the protected fishing zone that has been in existence since 1985.

It has been replaced by a conservation zone of roughly one-third the size.

Needless to say, the new box was presented as yet another triumph for Mr Ahern who pronounced himself "confident that this deal would provide stability going forward and greatly help to guarantee the livelihoods of fishermen around our coast".

However, judging by its response, the industry is somewhat underwhelmed by Mr Ahern's performance.

Mr Sean O'Donoghue, chief executive of the Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation described it as "a reasonably good day for Ireland".

Mr Ahern has appeared equally disinterested in the industry's views on the future of Bord Iascaigh Mara, the sea fisheries development agency. When the 2003 estimates are published next month they are expected by some to confirm that the marketing function of BIM is being transferred to An Bord Bia (though the Minister has said he has yet to make up his mind on the issue).

Nine marine and seafood industry organisations have expressed opposition to the move which they say will "further marginalise the fishing industry at a time when it is facing major threats".

The bodies include the Irish Fishermen's Organisation, the Irish South and East Fishermen's Organisation, the Irish Association of Seafood Companies, the Irish Trout Growers' Association, the Irish Fish Producers' Organisation, the Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation, the Irish South and West Fish Producers' Organisation, the Irish Salmon Growers' Association and the Irish Shellfish Association.

In December the Minister will attend the annual quota negotiations in Brussels where the Commission will look for further restrictions on Irish fishing boats.

Their case will be backed up by the recommendation of the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas that the Irish Sea should be closed for both cod and whiting fishing.

It will not be a pleasant time for the Minister, never mind the Irish fishing industry.

With all these issues confronting him, it is easy to understand why Mr Ahern has sidestepped the fishing industry to embrace broadband as the big idea that he hopes will define his tenure in office.

Indeed, if he gets it right then he will have made a very significant contribution to the development of the economy and laid one of the foundations for continued economic prosperity.

The fishing industry, on the other hand, will never be anything other than a headache.

But if Mr Ahern wants a good reason for spending a bit more time on his marine brief, he could take a trip down to Glandore Harbour in west Cork.

On one side of the inlet nestles the picturesque village of Glandore which exemplifies the concept of rural Ireland as theme park.

Expensive holiday homes sit alongside hotels and restaurants.

Pleasure craft swing at their moorings and main economic activities seems to be selling food and drink while moaning about the poor tourist season.

Across the inlet is the fishing harbour of Union Hall.

It is certainly less prosperous looking than Glandore, but any visitor can detect that it is a very different feel to the place. It has a solidity to it that is lacking from its more attractive neighbour. You know that most of the people who own houses there actually live in them and work locally.

It may be overstating things to give all the credit for this to to the fact that it has a working harbour, but without a doubt fishing underpins the community.

Broadband is not going to do that. Certainly not between now and the next election.