The Fisheries Council in Brussels today is likely to adopt a new set of hastily prepared technical conservation measures covering such areas as changes in mesh sizes and catch composition rules which are unworkable and will create major problems for the Irish whitefish industry. Rather than improving the existing measures, FIF is of the firm view that this proposed regulation will do the opposite and is calling on Minister Killeen to stop these measures being adopted. FIF see this proposal as an example of an attempt by the Commission and the Council of Ministers to ‘push through’ legislation thus avoiding the EU co-decision process as ratified by the Lisbon Treaty.
Current FIF Chairman Sean O’ Donoghue said: “The Irish fishing industry has for many years been at the forefront of proposing improved technical conservation measures, such as increased mesh sizes. However, the proposals on the table today are unworkable and are totally inappropriate for the Council of Fisheries Ministers to be deciding upon. These issues are highly technical and have a huge regional dimension requiring a major input from industry stakeholders.” He added “I am calling for common sense to prevail at the Council meeting today, by a postponement of these detailed measures or an agreement on a general rather than specific framework. It is totally unacceptable that this proposal envisages an immediate changeover to different gear types, taking no account of the practicalities involved or the significant additional costs”.
FIF has met with Minister Killeen on a number of previous occasions and is now actively engaged with him and his officials in Brussels during this Council process. FIF has set out, in clear terms, the major problems the Irish Industry has with this proposed regulation and is calling on the Minister, as a matter of urgency, to ensure that common sense prevails at today’s Council.
FIF chairman Sean O’ Donoghue made it clear to the Minister that “The Irish Fishing Industry cannot afford to sit idly by and allow unworkable proposals to be agreed that would lead to the demise of our whitefish industry”.