The EU commissioner for Fisheries & Marine Affairs is meeting Government ministers and representatives of the fishing industry during a 24-hour visit to Ireland today.
Commissioner Joe Borg will be meeting Minister for the Marine Noel Dempsey and Minister of State at the Department of the Marine Pat the Cope Gallagher.
Mr Borg will fly from Dublin to Kerry and will visit the port of Castletownbere, Co Cork, before flying north to Killybegs, Co Donegal, where he will be viewing a open seas fishing vessel and processing plant tonight.
Mr Borg is meeting representatives of all the main fishing industry organisations in both ports before departing for Belfast tomorrow.
Yesterday, Mr Borg said deep sea fishing and cod stocks in the Irish sea were being examined before a firm proposal for reductions in certain types of fishing would be made in December.
He said the commission was carefully considering the condition of deep-sea fish stocks in Irish waters such as Orange Roughy, Halibut and Monkfish.
"The problem is that they are very sensitive to over-fishing because they tend to live longer and take longer to regenerate so if there is a measure of over-fishing it will have a negative impact with regard to their sustainability," he said.
Mr Borg would not rule out introducing a stock recovery plan for cod in the Irish Sea similar to one in place in the North Sea, which has enforced severe cuts in catches.