An independent economic assessment of the viability of the whitefish fleet has been announced by Minister of State for the Marine Pat the Cope Gallagher.
A State buy-out or decommissioning scheme for certain vessels has also been approved for the first time by the Government, according to the Minister of State.
The developments were among a series of measures designed to "secure a sustainable future for the whitefish fleet", Mr Gallagher said this week. The buy-out of boats would take place under a new grant-aid scheme which has limited funding of about €1 million this year.
The buy-out would involve two phases, Mr Gallagher said. The second phase would follow the economic review, taking account of its findings.
The move has been welcomed by the Irish Fish Producers Organisation, which said it would allow those who no longer wished to fish, or who found it too difficult financially to continue, "the dignity to quit".
Decommissioning was a "harsh reality" the Irish industry had to face, said IFPO chief executive Lorcan Ó Cinnéide.
Although 62 new vessels had been built with EU and State help in recent years and many more modernised, tightening EU quotas and other restrictions, along with higher fuel prices, had caused severe hardship in the sector.
Mr Ó Cinnéide said his organisation would argue for a "flexible approach" which allowed some vessels to tie up for periods in a form of "set-aside" to protect stocks, while subsidising permanent decommissioning for others.
"We don't want to have a situation where we lose too much capacity and too many skills," he said.
Decommissioning has been an option for British and Northern Irish vessel owners for some time, and in Scotland 268 boats have been broken up, with the loss of 1,500 jobs at sea and more ashore. The Scottish whitefish fleet declined by 62 per cent between 2000 and 2004.
