"Depriving people of sleep through 30 hours of negotiations is illogical, particularly when they are determining people's livelihoods." The words of one Irish fishing industry representative, Jason Whooley, in Brussels after the conclusion yesterday of one of the longest EU fisheries councils on record.
His observations ring true, when 6,000 jobs in Irish coastal communities can be affected by the outcome. Dire warnings and tough talk have been a feature of these pre-Christmas councils, which determine the size of catches for the following year, but this year's session appears to have been different in tone.
EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Fisheries, Mr Franz Fischler, had signalled earlier this month that it would be difficult. "I trust that EU fisheries ministers will show courage and resolve to refrain from political horse-trading, and set the total allowable catches at levels that ensure sustainable fisheries," he had said when the first proposals seeking substantial cuts for 2002 were published.
The Commissioner was being disingenuous. The highly political system set out under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) only encourages the sort of horse-trading that takes place behind the scenes every year.
The 27-hour meeting wound up with several compromises on key issues affecting the Irish fleet. As anticipated, there were cuts in several whitefish species, including cod, haddock, monk, and prawns, but some ground was gained in relation to whiting and hake, and Celtic Sea herring. Horse mackerel and blue whiting quotas have also been cut. However, an attempt by the Commission to impose quotas for the first time on unexploited deep-water stocks - now being targeted by Irish vessels as an alternative and less restrictive fishery - was dropped.
Some of this was anticipated, and the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Mr Fahey, did well to emerge with an overall increase in whitefish quotas of just under 5 per cent - and a deal that secures the future, at least in the short term, of the new deep-water fishery. What was not anticipated was the Commissioner's attack on the Hague Preference - a resolution agreed by the EU in 1976 which recognised that Ireland had an under-developed fleet and could make a special case.
This has been invoked by both Ireland and Britain over the years to guarantee minimum quotas for certain species. The stance taken by the Commissioner means this clause may come under renewed threat when the Common Fisheries Policy is reviewed next year. On the other hand, Irish officials suggest the determined effort to protect it will copperfasten its future.
For the consumer, the overall reductions throughout Community waters in whitefish will mean continued price rises on the fresh market. The world demand for fish is steadily increasing, and the EU now imports nearly 60 per cent of all its fish needs.