A serious rift has emerged within the fishing industry over the new licensing policy initiated by the Minister for the Marine, Mr Ahern.
The policy has been welcomed in broad terms by the Irish Fish Producers' Organisation (IFPO), but the Irish South and West Fishermen's Organisation (IS&WFO) says it is "taking legal advice".
A delegation from Cork County Council is also seeking a meeting with the Minister over the policy, which was announced last week.
Fine Gael councillor Noel Harrington accused the Minister yesterday of "fierce inequity" towards the south-west region and the major whitefish port of Castletownbere, Co Cork, where 70 per cent of the population depends on fishing. Two new vessels worth €16 million in total and recently delivered to Castletownbere will not be licenced under the new rules, and their owners will not be able to draw down some €2 million in State aid.
The Sarah David and Ronan Ross were both built in Sweden under the Government's whitefish renewal scheme, but their final construction as multi-purpose ships which could also catch pelagic species (mackerel/herring) did not meet the scheme's requirements as administered by Bord Iascaigh Mhara.
A Department spokesman said yesterday that there wasn't sufficient pelagic quota for the two vessels.
"We have a situation where one rule is applied for Kevin McHugh, the Killybegs supertrawler owner, and the Killybegs fleet, and another is applied in the south-west. Mr McHugh was able to bring in a 14,000-tonne vessel, licence and register it and then hang on to an extra 5,000 tonnes attached to his second vessel, the Veronica. When two Castletownbere skippers with excellent track records and the requisite tonnage try to do the same, they are knocked," Cllr Harrington said.
The IS&WFO, based in Castletownbere, says that the licensing proposals "will severely affect the financial viability of a large number" of its members.
"Unfortunately, what was an ideal opportunity to produce a licensing policy for the future that would help position the Irish fleet in an increasingly competitive EU market has failed dismally," it says.
Ironically, the new policy aims to avoid a repeat of the Atlantic Dawn controversy by depoliticising the awarding of licences to fishing vessels, while also complying with EU fleet size restrictions.
The policy will be administered by a licensing authority, and there is also an appeals system for the first time - a departure from the previous regime where power was vested solely in the Minister for the Marine.