The Government has withdrawn some of the most controversial elements of a new maritime Bill which had been opposed by a joint Oireachtas committee and a group of MEPs from both North and South.
Minister of State for the Marine Pat the Cope Gallagher said last night that the Naval Service will not now be given new powers to fire into vessels, and fishing vessels will not be forfeited when repeat offences occur.
These measures had been proposed under the terms of the new Sea Fisheries Maritime Jurisdiction Bill, which aroused considerable cross-party opposition during its second stage.
However, industry pleas to introduce a system of administrative, rather than criminal, penalties for fishery offences - as is the norm in most of Europe - have been rejected.
Mr Gallagher said the Attorney General had advised that it was not constitutionally possible to introduce administrative fines in this area of legislation.
He also said that a new independent regulatory agency for sea fisheries protection would be established, separate from the Minister's department.
