The European Union commissioner, Dr Franz Fischler, is in Dublin today at a time when both agriculture and fisheries here are in a state of crisis.
The one-day visit involves a series of meetings with ministers and industry representatives to sell the commissioner's reform proposals for both sectors. Dr Fischler's vision for a new Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) involves stringent fleet cuts, abolition of state aid for new vessels and compensation packages to encourage fishermen to diversify.
Ireland, as one of an alliance of six EU states involving France, Spain, Portugal, Greece and Italy, opposes this approach. The alliance argues that the socio-economic impact of reforms on coastal communities must be taken into account. Ireland has 11 per cent of Community waters and only four per cent of the catch, but has still managed to develop an industry with over €433 million in annual exports. The Irish reform proposals have a strong environmental focus, which includes setting 24-mile inshore limits, better enforcement, and technical conservation measures as a way of protecting vulnerable fish stocks.
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Much of this has been dismissed by the Commission. Still, fishing industry leaders here still appealed for a Yes vote in the Nice Treaty referendum in the hope that this might win some goodwill towards Ireland's case. The same leaders have now expressed a sense of betrayal over moves to dismantle the protected zone, known as the "Irish Box", established in 1985 to protect a rich fishing ground from Spanish trawlers. Angry fishermen in the south-west decided to mount their own informal protest action over the weekend. The move to allow "equal access" to it has been rejected by the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Mr Ahern.
The Minister told his Danish counterpart and holder of the EU presidency on Friday that unrestricted access to the box would "make a mockery" of EU conservation policy. Spain has the potential to "fish out" the waters entirely, he warned. Mr Ahern intends to raise the issue with the Commissioner, who has expressed concern, time and again, about the state of dwindling stocks. Dr Fischler's actual commitment - and the Government's resolve on the issue -- will be under close scrutiny today.