DONEGAL fishing co-ops have called on the Government to reject a proposal to extend the powers of the Foyle Fisheries Commission to manage commercial stocks out to the 12 mile territorial limit.
The new powers would allow the cross Border body to regulate the length of fishing boats, times and seasons for fishing, gear, closure of specific areas and tourist sea angling out to the territorial limit.
Currently, the commission is responsible for management of salmon in the lough and approaching inland rivers - regarded as one of the richest marine resources on this island - on behalf of the British and Irish governments. Established by parallel legislation in Northern Ireland and the Republic in 1952, it is the only such cross Border body with executive functions.
Both governments have been involved in amending legislation to give the commission a development role, but such new powers are not acceptable", Mr Hugh McLaughlin, manager of the Green castle Fishermen's Co op in Co Donegal, has said. Dr Peter Tyndall, manager of the Foyle Fishermen's Co op, also in Greencastle, said yesterday this was another example of "control of fisheries being bartered away without any thought". However, Dr Tyndall said there was scope for improved management within the lough, which should be carried out by fishing interests.
Speaking after a meeting of the three co ops on the Foyle's western shore in Moville, Co Donegal, this week, Mr McLaughlin said the fishermen and shellfishermen intended to form an independent body to take over management of the fisheries. They did not challenge the commission's right to manage salmon - as it was originally set up to do in 1952 - and to police the area. However, any attempt to move into regulating the whitefish fleet must be opposed, he said.
The commission was hailed after the IRA ceasefire as a great, example of a cross Border body working well the Greencastle Coop has said. But in its view, the commission's powers should not be extended it should be "disbanded".
Part of the traditional commercial fishery and shellfish cultivation had already been given away by the commission to the Northern Ireland Conservancy Board which was "totally resented", the Greencastle Co op said.
The Minister for the Marine, Mr Barrett, said a review of the commission's operations was carried out in 1993, and it was agreed to expand its powers to allow for development work in relation to the fishery resource, shellfish farming and angling.
The report had recommended that a devolution of powers in relation to sea fishing might relate to Lough Foyle initially, but provision should be made for extension to the parts of the Foyle area seaward of the lough "at some future time, if such an extension of powers was considered necessary".
Both governments had accepted these and other recommendations.
