Government resist compromises on EU fish quotas

THE Government was last night resisting compromises that would see fishermen getting a quota for some species next year, but in exchange they would have to give them up in 2012.

The annual EU negotiations on fish quotas was continuing late last night with Fisheries Minister Seán Connick appearing to have won an important victory, that he hoped to hold onto as negotiations continued.

This was in relation to the Hague Preferences, which for 34 years has given Ireland an additional quota share in many key stocks. It has to be approved annually and normally it is opposed by several other countries.