EU member-states are unlikely to reach agreement on the controversial proposed cuts in the Community fishing fleet at the Christmas fisheries council which opens in Brussels this morning with a marathon 20-point agenda.
The Minister for the Marine, Mr Barrett, who will be chairing the council on behalf of the Irish presidency, has forecast a "very tough meeting, "even by the gruelling standards" of the normal December meeting.
Ireland is not expected to perform any miracles, due to widespread disagreement on some of the main items on the agenda. The annual quota carve-up, which normally takes priority at this council, is expected to yield no significant changes, in spite of Britain's promise to Northern Ireland fishermen to look after their interests.
Mr Joey Murrin, of the Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation, said yesterday that Northern Ireland fishermen had been "sold a pup" if they believed the British Prime Minister's promise that they would benefit at the expense of fleets in the Republic and Scotland.
In the latest effort to secure Ulster Unionist Party support on Monday night's vote on fisheries in the British House of Commons, the Tory party promised to veto the revised Maastricht Treaty if the activities of "quota hoppers" within the EU were not stopped. It also promised to renegotiate a long-standing deal, known as the Hague Preference, under which Britain and Ireland secure increased quotas of certain stocks.
Ireland is expected to secure increased quotas of Celtic Sea herring and Irish Sea haddock following positive scientific advice, while mackerel is expected to remain at last year's level, following cuts which halved these quotas over three years. Irish Sea whiting and saithe are expected to be cut by 40 to 50 per cent.
On the separate issues of fleet cuts, technical conservation measures and satellite monitoring, the Minister has said there is still a very significant "groundswell of support" for Ireland's compromise of fleet cuts and catching effort. This could be complicated by "Commission intransigence" and the EU Fisheries Commissioner's threat to hold up EU structural Funds for fishing fleets until there is a decision. A debate on the review of the Common Fisheries Policy is also due to be initiated by Ireland - if flight schedules of weary fisheries ministers tomorrow do not intervene.
Ireland has put in an "enormous amount of work" to revise proposed conservation measures, with a view to making them "more realistic, more credible and more acceptable" to the fishing industry, the Minister said yesterday. A decision on these measures is possible, according to the Irish Fish Producers' Organisation, while it also believes there may be some agreement on satellite monitoring of fishing vessels, in spite of opposition from some member-states.
