Fishermen warn of income loss if quotas are cut

Irish fishermen's incomes could drop by 17 per cent next year if proposed cuts in next year's quotas are agreed this week in Brussels, the Irish South and West Fishermen's Organisation has warned.

In west Cork alone, this could mean a £9 million drop in income, the organisation says, and the fact that scientists were still advising a reduction in catches pointed to a failure in the current fisheries management system.

"Isn't it time the EU realised that more cuts are not the answer to the problem?" it asks, in a statement questioning the whole basis of the Common Fisheries Policy. "If significant progress is to be made, then we must depart from this present overly centralised management regime that is the CFP. A system of regional management must be introduced, which will allow stakeholders in a fishery to be directly involved."

Quota cuts will only encourage illegal fishing, it says, and this will do nothing to halt the decline in stocks. It is "a terrible indictment of the CFP" that scientists still considered cuts to be the solution. "When, if ever, will we see quota increases? Certainly never under the present management regime."

The Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Dr Woods, has warned of difficult negotiations at today's council, which is expected to run into tomorrow. The marathon meeting to agree on quotas has become an established part of the pre-Christmas ritual in Brussels, with sleep deprivation designed to force through a political agreement which suits a majority of member-states, whether or not they have industries to protect.

The Minister confirmed yesterday that the EU Commission has tabled "hardline" proposals, including cuts of up to 40 per cent in many of the whitefish stocks of critical importance to the Irish fleet. In addition, the commission has proposed a reduction of almost 15 per cent in the Celtic Sea herring fishery catch, which is a key stock for this State.

Dr Woods said the scientific advice could not be ignored, and added that he intended to negotiate the best possible deal for Irish fishermen. He also pointed to the recent breakthrough for the mackerel fleet in the EU-Norwegian talks, which should maintain Ireland's mackerel quota for the coming year.

The council will formally finalise measures to improve control and enforcement, aimed at tightening up on flagship activities, improving monitoring and inspection in the transport and market chain and reinforcing co-operation across Europe on control issues.

The Fine Gael marine spokesman, Mr Michael Finucane, urged the Minister to resist the proposed cuts, which he described as "completely unacceptable".

"Last year the Minister had a highly publicised walk-out from the negotiations, because of the loss of a quota for the horse mackerel species, which had an estimated value of £30 million," Mr Finucane said yesterday. "The Minister said he would seek the Attorney General's advice to have the decision overturned, but of course this came to nothing. Now there is a further cut of 22 per cent in horse mackerel. "Fianna Fail's commitment prior to the last general election that Ireland's fish quotas would be increased has a hollow ring to it," he added.