A group of Scottish fishermen who took on the Brussels bureaucracy won their battle today over a clerical error which cost them vital fishing catches.

Irish MEPs are due to lobby for a change in 2009 fishing quotas when they meet EU Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg in Brussels today.

AS FISHERIES ministers vow to clamp down on illegal fishing and imports in the European Union, there are growing demands among commercial fishermen for emergency aid.

FISHERMEN blockaded Cork and Waterford ports yesterday, continuing their protest at soaring fuel prices and EU fish quotas.

The race to replace the dwindling cod.

A SUBMISSION arguing for greater compensation for salmon draft-net fishermen will be handed to EU Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg by Fine Gael’s John Deasy and party MEP Simon Coveney in Strasbourg on Tuesday.

The European Commission today urged EU governments to live up to international commitments to cut back fish catches to sustainable levels, and help ensure the future survival of stocks.

IRELAND’S fishing industry risks having its mackerel quota slashed by €80 million, the EU has confirmed.

MINISTER Noel Dempsey yesterday strongly stood over his refusal to allow controversial new fisheries legislation to include administrative as well as criminal sanctions.

Over 300 fishing boats were on course for the country’s main ports today to stage a protest to demand changes to the controversial Fisheries Bill.

IRELAND had the worst record in Europe for breaching EU fishing quotas, according to the European Commission.

Europe plans to send fishing boats destined for the breaker’s yard to tsunami-devastated areas to help relaunch an industry decimated by the disaster.

A new European fishing deal was secured today after 30 hours of gruelling talks in Brussels.

Talks to agree the depth of more fishing cuts were still going on in Brussels today.

The European Commission backed away from a total ban on cod fishing today, despite expert advice warning that stocks face wipe-out.

PLANS to drastically reduce the Irish Box and cut back even further on cod fishing will decimate the fishing industry, Irish MEPs warned yesterday.

With cod stocks dwindling ever further, the European Commission tabled new plans today to save the dinner favourite from commercial extinction.

Europe’s fishermen are to be given a key role in assessing the state of dwindling stocks, the European Commission announced this afternoon.

SENIOR civil servants are due to travel to Brussels next week for a meeting with European Commission officials in a bid to resolve the current legal uncertainty surrounding fishing in the Irish Box.

The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has told the Dail the Government will do all it can to protect the 50-mile fishing exclusion around Ireland known as the Irish Box.

THE Government is to launch a diplomatic offensive today to block an invasion of Irish waters by Spanish fishermen.

Drastic cuts in fishing were agreed today after 26 gruelling hours of talks in Brussels.