The Labour Party has called on the Government to protect the Irish fishing industry following inconclusive talks over fisheries reform in Brussels this afternoon.
The Commission failed to reach agreement on compromise proposals which involve conceding the existence of a "sensitive zone" off the southern and western Irish coast, the restriction of fishing to "current levels" and the establishment of fishing capacity "ceilings" for each region within western waters.
|
The Minister for the Marine, Mr Dermot Ahern, said this afternoon that this "new Irish Box", as described at the Fisheries Commission, was not sufficient, but he conceded it represented a move in the right direction. He said he had "not pulled any punches in keeping the focus on conservation".
Last week, proposals tabled by Connacht-Ulster MEP Mr Seán Ó Neachtáin to protect the 50-mile zone on the south and western coasts from increased Spanish pressure were also widely rejected.
Labour Party Marine spokesman, Mr Tommy Broughan, described the failure to resolve the future of the Irish Box as "a total failure on behalf of the Government to protect the Irish fishing industry."
"Marine Minister Dermot Ahern must immediately clarify the Government's position in light of the break-up of these negotiations without a firm conclusion," Mr Broughan said this afternoon.
"The uncertainty surrounding the future of the Irish Box cannot continue. Livelihoods and the future of the Irish fishing industry are at stake here."
Mr Broughan also urged the Government to revise its current policy, and start aggressively protecting the rights of Irish fishermen.
"He [Mr Ahern] has . . . failed to convince the EU of the vital importance of the Irish Box in conservation terms to protect spawning grounds and juvenile fish, Mr Broughan added.
"Where are the protections for the fishing fleet in today's outcome? Where is the guaranteed maintenance of the Box? Where are proposals to safeguard the Box from foreign fleets?"
It is now widely believed that the issue will not be decided during the lifetime of the Greek EU presidency.