The Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources has asked Irish coastal communities to ratify the Nice treaty in the upcoming referendum.
Mr Ahern said Nice and subsequent EU enlargement would provide opportunities for the Irish seafood industry.
"Today 80 per cent of our seafood exports go to our European Union neighbours. This trade supports 15,000 jobs in largely peripheral coastal communities. EU membership and free access to EU markets has clearly benefited the economies of many coastal communities," he said.
"Last year, our seafood industry landed 320,600 tonnes at a massively increased value of €250 million, an increase of €188 million or 303 per cent since joining the EEC," he said.
Mr Ahern’s comments follow a decision by the European Commission to reform the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). Reducing the community’s fishing fleet by 8.5 per cent in an effort to protect fishing stocks is the cornerstone of this plan.
Irish fisheries groups have expressed disappointment with the plan.
Mr Padraig White, chairman of the Irish Strategy Review Group on the CFP, said the Commission’s plan fails to recognise the difference between fishing capacity and fishing effort. Without controls on fishing effort, overfishing will remain he said.