Irish fishing industry representatives have welcomed a "sea change" within the European Commission in relation to management of fish stocks next year.
The newly published European Commission's recommendations include closure of a 1,500 sq mile area to all cod fishing off the southern Irish coast, and increases of between 10 and 20 per cent in key whitefish species.
The recommendations are due to be debated later this month by EU fisheries ministers at their annual pre-Christmas catch and quota "carve-up".
The Irish South and West Fishermen's Organisation (IS&WFO) and the Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation (KFO) have welcomed the decision to initiate a closed area for cod fishing from January to the end of March on the advice of fishermen, and to avoid a blanket ban on all cod fishing as recommended by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).
"This type of targeted closed area will reduce fishing mortality and allow spawning to recover, and is the sort of approach to management which the industry welcomes," Mr Jason Whooley, chief executive of the IS&WFO, said.
"Together with two closed areas recommended off the English coast, it will result in a 4,500-mile restricted zone, and this will have a significant impact on the health of cod stocks."
Mr Sean O'Donoghue, chief executive of the Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation, said that Irish, French and British fishing industry representatives had lobbied for this type of cod recovery plan, and he was delighted to see the European Commission taking these views on board.
Mr O'Donoghue also welcomed proposed 20 per cent increases in catches for monkfish, hake, megrim and haddock, but warned that Ireland was being given only a token share of new deepwater species subject to quota and was facing some radical cutbacks in other key deepwater stocks.
A proposed 23 per cent cut in mackerel catches had been resisted by Ireland, but an increase in blue whiting would compensate in part for this, Mr O'Donoghue said.
A 20 per cent reduction recommended for horse mackerel stocks was totally unjustified, he said.
The European Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, Mr Joe Borg, said that the recommendations aimed to strike a balance "between what is biologically necessary and what is economically reasonable".
Long-term recovery plans and better compliance, along with greater involvement of stakeholders, would help to achieve this, he said.
