More than 300 fishing vessels are expected to be mobilised next week for a protest over the controversial Sea Fisheries Maritime Jurisdiction Bill.
Vessels are expected to steam in to Dublin, Cork and Galway ports, and either Waterford or Rosslare in the south-east, to highlight serious concerns over the legislation, currently before the Oireachtas.
"This is not a blockade. It will be a peaceful protest with minimum disruption and in co-operation with the port authorities," said Mr Jason Whooley, chief executive of the Irish South and West Fishermen's Organisation. Amendments have been tabled by Government, but plans to debate the Bill's committee stage were abandoned on Thursday as TDs had not received copies of the proposed changes.
Under the amendments, the Naval Service will not now be given new powers to fire into vessels, and fishing vessels will not be forfeited when repeat offences occur, as had been originally proposed.
Graduated fines based on a vessel's size will be introduced, and a new independent regulatory agency for sea fisheries will be established. However, the Government's contention that the Attorney General has advised against switching from a criminal to an administrative system of penalties has been challenged by Fianna Fáil TDs and by fishing industry representatives.
The European Commission said it would prefer an administrative system, which is the norm in the majority of member states, and legal opinion obtained by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources suggests that there is "no valid legal objection" to the introduction of such a system.