Dermot Ahern Warns EU Leader That Move Will Devastate Fish Stocks

Dublin, Friday, 8^th November, 2002

Mr Dermot Ahern TD, Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, today branded a move to allow unrestricted access to the Irish Box fishing waters off our coast as making a mockery of EU policy to conserve stocks.

The Minister told the President of the EU Fisheries Council, Danish Minister Mariann Fischer Boel, that not only should the existing controls on entry into the Irish Box be maintained but they should be strengthened.

The Minister was in Copenhagen today to meet with Minister Boel as part of a series of intensive bi-laterals in the run-up to the crucial November and December Fisheries Councils. On Monday next Minister Ahern meets with the EU Fisheries Commissioner, Franz Fischler – the latest in the series of meetings which has so far involved Minister Ahern in talks in Portugal and with his French counterpart.

Minister Ahern told his Danish counterpart: “The area off our coast is a most sensitive fishing area. It is one of the richest fishing grounds in EU waters and is already under severe pressure from the many European fleets operating off our coast.”

The Minister went on: “Spain has by far the largest fleet in the EU and has the potential to fish-out our waters. This has always been of major concern to Ireland. The removal of the current restrictions on Spanish access to the Box would result in a huge and uncontrollable increase in fishing activity, placing the future of fishing in the waters off our coast in danger of total collapse.”

“The retention of the current restrictions of access to our waters is critical to sustaining sensitive stocks in the area. If the EU is serious about conservation then it must maintain these restrictions,” the Minister said.

Minister Ahern explained in detail Ireland’s historically inadequate and poor quota entitlements under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). He made it clear to Minister Boel that Ireland’s additional quota entitlements, known as the Hague Preferences, are a cornerstone of EU fisheries policy for the past 25 years.

“The Hague Preferences were the only recognition in the CFP that Ireland’s fishing industry was underdeveloped when the quotas were being shared out. Our quotas are disproportionately low and the Hague Preferences are therefore vital to maintain our coastal communities,” the Minister said.

Minister Ahern strongly urged Minister Boel to re-think the proposed package of fleet cuts – up to 40% of the Irish white fleet would be cut under CFP reform proposals. “The cuts proposed are not necessary as they would not guarantee sustainability of stocks. Instead they would have a devastating impact on coastal communities all over Ireland. More practical conservation measures such as bigger mesh sizes and closed areas could be just as effective.”

Minister Ahern described the meeting with Minister Boel as useful, constructive and important in making “crystal clear” Ireland’s deep concerns about the proposals currently being put forward.

ENDS