Crucial negotiations on the future of the fishing industry in Ireland and elsewhere in Europe are continuing in Brussels tonight. The European Commission wants to reduce the size of the Irish fishing fleet and to impose huge cuts on fish catches.
The Minister for the Marine, Frank Fahey, said earlier that the proposed fish quota cuts were not in line with the scientific advice. He said that he was hopeful the case against such cuts would win out. The talks are expected to continue for two days.
Fishing organisation representatives have said that the modernisation plan for the Irish fishing fleet is at stake. There are also fears about the effects the proposals by the European Commission could have on 6,000 jobs in the Irish industry.
These negotiations are the most crucial faced by the fishing industry. Just before Christmas every year, the European Fisheries Ministers haggle with the Commission about quotas for the following year.
But this year, Fisheries Commissioner Franz Fischler wants not only to cut the size of fish catches, but also the size of the fishing fleet. This would be particularly serious for Ireland, which is half way through a £145m (€181.25m) modernisation of what was the oldest fleet in Europe.
Such a move would also stop Irish fishermen developing new deepwater species off the West and Southwest coasts, which could be particularly lucrative.
There is a strong feeling amongst Irish fishermen that the French and Spanish industries are using political muscle to force the EU Commission into action which hits at Ireland, but favours France and Spain.
