The Government's proposed new maritime jurisdiction legislation has been described as "draconian" in Brussels this week by Fianna Fáil members of a joint Oireachtas committee.
Representatives of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources are meeting senior EU officials to express their opposition to the legislation, and to press for uniform fines for fishery offences across European community waters.
The group, led by chairman and Cork North Central TD Noel O'Flynn (FF), is undertaking the visit a week before the new Bill is introduced in the Dáil - and on the eve of a separate trip to Ireland this week by EU Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg.
Travelling with Mr Flynn are the committee's vice-chairman, Fine Gael TD John Perry; Denis O'Donovan TD (FF) and Senator Brendan Kenneally (FF).
Mr O'Flynn said there was all-party agreement within the committee on aspects of the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Bill, 2005, including that penalties for fishery offences were "excessive". New powers would also allow the Naval Service to fire into a fishing vessel, rather than over the bow, in certain circumstances, he said.
"We believe the new Bill is draconian, discriminatory, ridiculous and is designed to treat all fishermen like common criminals," he said. "The fishing industry supports controls which are evenly applied, but some of the measures in this Bill will discriminate against Irish vessels - such as powers to forfeit vessels altogether," he added.
The legislation was vehemently opposed by fishing industry organisations when it was discussed by the joint Oireachtas committee last month, and the committee asked Minister for the Marine Noel Dempsey to make "significant amendments".
Mr Perry said that it was obvious that there had been no consultation whatsoever between the department and the fishing industry when drafting the Bill.
However, a department spokesman told The Irish Times that many of the Bill's sections were already in force and it was designed to "consolidate" legislation on the issue.
The joint Oireachtas committee members met Patrick Tabone, chef de cabinet for the EU commissioner for fisheries and maritime affairs, yesterday, and Rosa Ramos, vice-president of the European Parliament's fisheries committee. They also met Irish MEPs, and are due to discuss the issue today with Alain Laurec, director of control and enforcement at the European Commission's fisheries directorate.
"We have been told that the EU will not interfere in national legislation, but we also want to confirm that these proposed changes are not being done at the request of the EU," Mr O'Flynn said. Coastal representatives of his own party had "deep reservations" about the legislation, he said.
Commissioner Borg will visit Castletownbere, Co Cork, and Killybegs, Co Donegal, today.
