Fisherman who breach quotas are traitors: McDowell

TÁNAISTE Michael McDowell has branded fishermen who breach their quotas as “traitors”.

He made the emotive remark in the Dáil yesterday when challenged by the Opposition about a provision in the Criminal Justice Bill giving fisheries protection officers the right to search premises.

Sinn Féin TD Aengus O’Snodaigh said the Government had brought forward the bill to deal with gangland crime and drug dealers, yet had included the provision in relation to fishermen.

Mr O Snodaigh’s call for the provision to be deleted was echoed by Fine Gael’s Jim O’Keeffe and Dinny McGinley and Labour’s Brendan Howlin.

Mr O’Keeffe said it was “extraordinary” that such a measure was being included in a legislative package aimed to combat gangland crime.

“The criminalisation of the fishing community by Government by way of the enforcement of these provisions bears no relationship to the type of technical offences committed,” he said.

Mr Howlin said the provision was a further blow to the fishing industry, which was “already on its knees”.

“There are real issues of concern with not alone boats but houses being repossessed. The fishing industry needs a sympathetic ear and should not be included in a package of measures designed to deal with gangland murderers,” he added.

Mr McDowell said he shared the concerns expressed by the Opposition TDs about the fishing industry. But he said he had been requested by Marine Minister Noel Dempsey to include the measure in the bill, and believed it was fully justified.

“Bearing in mind the urgency of making our fisheries protection law system effective, and to stop another catastrophe whereby a few traitors could destroy fishing prospects for another season, the minister asked me to include this provision in this bill. That is why I have done so.”

Sinn Féin’s fisheries spokesman, Martin Ferris, last night slammed the minister’s use of language.

“To use the term ‘traitors’ is not only offensive but highly ironic,” he said. “The real traitors are successive Governments who stupidly handed over control over one of our most valuable natural resources to Brussels.”