Fishing industry calls for action amid 'alarming' fuel price rises

THE IRISH public may soon face "no fish" on Friday or any other day if the Government does not intervene over a 50 per cent rise in fuel prices, a leading industry organisation has warned.

An "alarming" rise in the cost of diesel means skippers can no longer afford to go to sea, as wholesale fish prices have also fallen, Gerard O'Flynn, the Irish South and West Fishermen's Organisation's chief executive, has said.

Fuel accounts for more than 60 per cent of a boat's gross earnings, Mr O'Flynn said. A 40 per cent diesel price rise since January has caused blockades by fishing vessels in French ports, while the Scottish fisheries secretary Richard Lochhead has announced an action plan to help alleviate pressure on the Scottish fleet.

Mr O'Flynn said his organisation was calling on the new Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Brendan Smith to establish a task force to examine all options.

"Many of the newer white-fish fleet owners who purchased inside the last 10 years, reflecting multimillion euro investments, will be left with little option but to tie up their boats, leading to economic ruin and inevitable job losses," Mr O'Flynn said.

The Irish industry was aware that key competitors such as France and Spain had already benefited from State aid to help defray fuel costs, he added.

"In the current debate on the Lisbon Treaty, the keynote message being conveyed by Government to the general public is that European membership has been good for Ireland. This message does not rest easily with the fishing community, who have a long-held view that membership of the EU has been detrimental to the industry," Mr O'Flynn said.

"The widely held view is that the industry has been gravely damaged by the failure of EU fisheries policies, including a lack of uniformity in control and enforcement measures, major discrepancies in the system of penalties and an historic imbalance in the distribution of quotas. In such circumstances, is it reasonable to ask the fishing community to support the Lisbon Treaty?" he said.

Mr Smith is due to meet the Federation of Irish Fishermen, which includes the ISWFO, this week. His department made no comment on the fuel issue last week.

The Automobile Association (AA) and the Irish Road Haulage Association have called for urgent action on fuel costs, and the AA called on politicians to solve the "mystery" of diesel prices.

Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore claimed in the Dáil last week that oil companies were operating a cartel by increasing the price of diesel, anticipating a shift by car drivers to this fuel.