Barrett welcomes EU fish deal with relief, but Irish industry cautious

IRISH fishing industry representatives have reacted cautiously to the EU fish deal agreed in Luxembourg yesterday. The Minister for the Marine, Mr Barrett, welcomed it with "satisfaction and relief".

"The unique circumstances and needs of the Irish fleet have been protected as a result of the decision," the Minister said after the two-day meeting.

EU funding for fleet modernisation and renewal which has been on hold since January will now be released as a result of the agreement, Mr Barrett said.

The agreement reduces catches of critical fish stocks in the European "pond" by up to 30 per cent in certain areas, in a compromise formulated by the Department of the Marine during the Irish EU Presidency. The overall impact on the Irish industry will be one of "2 per cent" reduced catches over five years, Mr Barrett said.

However, Mr Frank Doyle of the Irish Fishermen's Organisation said the details still had to be worked out with each member state. "Until we see what is on paper, and what the Government intends to submit by the end of June, we won't really know how it affects us, and we have to take the Minister's word for it."

Mr Joey Murrin, chief executive of the Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation said the effect on Ireland appeared to be minimal. "The best of a bad lot for ourselves," Mr Murrin said. "Much depends on how what is agreed will be monitored. However, the work of the Department of the Marine during the Irish presidency seems to have paid off."

Mr Murrin also welcomed the separate agreement on allocation of Atlanto-Scandian herring, which will give an additional 1,000 tonnes to the Irish pelagic/ mackerel fleet over and above the 11,000 tonnes on offer.

The Irish South and West Fishermen's Organisation (IS&WFO) questioned which EU member-states would accept cuts. "We've been saying for years that the Spanish are overfishing in Irish waters. Are they going to be controlled?" Mr Donal O'Driscoll, chairman of the IS&WFO said.

Mr O'Driscoll also expressed disappointment that Ireland did not support Britain on the "flagships" issue - an activity which affects Ireland as much as Britain, given that most of the 160 Spanish flagships on the British and Irish registers are working off these waters.

Only Britain and France voted against the agreement - Britain, because of its insistence that the flagships or "quota-hopping" loophole be tackled, and France, on the ground that there is considerable anger within the industry on the north-west coast over the impact on its landings.

The British Prime Minister, Mr John Major, said yesterday in Devon Britain planned to seek an agreement at the forthcoming Inter-Governmental Conference on quota-hopping. "This isn't a trivial issue," Mr Major warned.

Fish ministers accepted the Irish presidency compromise yesterday with some changes. Instead of a 40 per cent cut in tonnage sought by the EU Fisheries Commissioner, Ms Emma Bonino, a more sympathetic combination of tonnage and catch reduction will be negotiated with individual member-states, which targets three types of fish stocks in particular sea areas.

"Depleted" stocks will be cut by 30 per cent; "overfished" stocks will be reduced by 20 per cent. The programme will be spread over five, rather than three, years.

Cod in the Irish Sea, cod and saithe off Scotland and plaice and sole in the Celtic Sea are in the "depleted" category. Mackerel, hake and monkfish off the west of Ireland, and mackerel, swordfish, cod, hake and monkfish in the Celtic Sea are listed in the "over-fished" category.

EU member-states will have an option to exempt small boats under 12 metres in length. "However, if no states are badly affected by this, the overlying problem of conservation will not have been tackled," Mr Doyle of the IFO commented.

On the British Labour Party campaign train in Brighton yesterday, Mr Tony Blair, said: "This is yet another failure - first beef, then fish."

The Green MEP for Dublin Ms Patricia McKenna, said that the fisheries cuts might be "too little too late" for Europe's depleted stocks. "Short-sighted political considerations have taken priority over ecological considerations."