Representatives from Irish fishermen’s groups are meeting EU fisheries commissioner Joe Borg today for talks on quotas and a proposed fishing ban.
The fishermen are seeking to head off a ban on catching white fish off the coast of Donegal and amend cuts in fishing quotas proposed for next year. EU fisheries ministers are to meet in December to negotiate and decide the quota cuts with the commission.
The Federation of Irish Fishermen (FIF) said it would be highlighting "the unacceptability of the proposed ban on white fishing off the NW coast, unnecessary cuts in the 2009 prawn quota and concerns over herring quotas”.
It said the proposal to ban fishing for cod, haddock and whiting off the northwest coast was announced without going through the normal consultation process. “Should this proposal become reality it will wipe out large sections of the white fish industry off the NW coast of Ireland."
“Both its content and method of announcement leave much to be desired,” Federation chairman Gerard O’Flynn said.
The Federation said it would tell Mr Borg proposals to cut the 2009 total allowable catches “are completely unnecessary as the stock is recognised to be in a very good state and that the proposals arise from use of a bizarre rule relating to averaging of catches”.
The FIF said its representatives would be accompanied by Fianna Fáil MEP for Munster Brian Crowley, who helped set up the meeting.
