IRISH efforts to broker an EU compromise on fishing fleet cuts have elicited a lukewarm response from the EU Commission and an angry reaction from the industry at home.
At home, the initiative has been described as "outrageous" by the Irish South and West Fishermen's Organisation (IS&WFO).
The commissioner is still clinging to her demand for a 40 per cent cut in the EU fleet over the next six years in spite of outright opposition from member states.
At home, the initiative has been described as "outrageous" by the Irish South and West Fishermen's Organisation (IS&WFO).
The commissioner is still clinging to her demand for a 40 per cent cut in the EU fleet over the next six years, in spite of outright opposition from member states. Ireland's compromise, formulated under the EU presidency, proposes a combination of fleet cuts and reduction in catches, with most focus on stocks under pressure.
Acknowledging the Irish presidency's efforts, the commissioner said that she could not hide her disappointment after the debate at Friday's Council of Ministers meeting when EU fisheries ministers called for more time to consider the proposal made by the Minister for the Marine, Mr Barrett. Any plan must include compulsory fleet reduction, in the commissioner's view, and she has warned that there will be no structural funds for the industry if there is no agreement on the size of the EU fleet by the end of this year.
A "bombshell" is how Mr Donal O'Driscoll, chairman of the IS&WFO, has described the Irish Government's compromise. Not only was it unworkable, but there had been no prior consultation with the industry here, Mr O'Driscoll said.
Mr O'Driscoll, speaking from Casteltownbere, Co Cork, said the industry had spent four hours recently in consultation with the Minister, and there had been no mention of the compromise formula.
The Fianna Fail MEP and vice chairman of the European Parliament's Fish Council, Mr Pat "The Cope" Gallagher, said he was disappointed that Ireland had not called for unequivocal rejection of the EU Commission's original bid to cut fleets by 40 per cent.
The Minister has described his formula as a fairly radical and fresh look at the problem" and he said he was heartened at the broad acceptance of it as "a basis for further discussion". It proposes a 20 per cent reduction in catching effort of fish stocks under pressure, such as mackerel, hake and cod, in certain areas - rather than the crude fleet tonnage reduction sought by the Commission, which takes no account of the social impact on coastal communities.
Member states would be allowed to devise their own combination of control based on days at sea and/or fleet reductions, and there would be a mid term review after three years.
"It might make some sense if one started with a level playing field," Mr O'Driscoll said. " We'd be very pleased it those member states who are over fishing were cut back to our level of activity, but we don't want to be lumped in with the major offenders. As it is, the Irish fleet is severely curtailed by the elements. The west coast fleet can fish on average for a maximum 200 210 days a year.
Mr Tom Hassett, secretary of the IS&WFO, said that the Irish plan would be physically impossible to put into practice. "One cannot apply the same regulations from the Skaggerak in the north to the Mediterranean," he said.
"Currently, the Germans draft regulations, the Irish and British obey them to the letter, the French and Spanish disobey them and the Italians say they never heard of them. The sooner that the EU decentralises and makes each member state responsible for managing its own waters, the better," Mr Hassett said.
Ministers at Friday's Council also failed to reach agreement on the introduction of satellite monitoring systems for fishing vessels with Spain, Holland, Italy, Denmark and Sweden expressing opposition. Denmark regards it as a civil liberties issue, given the degree of control over fishing activity.
. The IS&WFO has also called on the Minister to implement the recommendations of the Government's fishing vessel safety review group, if there is not to be "another repeat of the Carrickatine" - the vessel lost with six Donegal fishermen on board off the northwest coast a year ago.
"Experts from Bord Iascaigh Mhara, the Naval Service the Department of the Marine and other professionals drafted 64 recommendations for the review group, and yet the Minister doesn't appear to intend to do anything," the organisation said. Instead, a second report had been commissioned, it said.
In spite of EU restrictions on fleet size, Spain has received EU grants to renew its Gran Sol fleet, which fishes to the west of Ireland, in the Celtic Sea and western approaches. Some 27 fishing vessels of 32 and 36 metres in length are being built under the scheme.
Earlier this month, the Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation had also criticised the Minister over safety. The Minister said then that he intended to implement the recommendations of the fishing vessel safety report as soon as possible, but as part of a new national policy on fishing vessel safety, which was in the final stages of preparation.
