Fishing industry secures record quota

THE Irish fishing industry will have a record €250 million quota for next year, following EU negotiations described by Marine Minister Simon Coveney as “very challenging”.

He expressed delight at the outcome of the negotiations after almost three days of talks that delivered on key priorities which will “allow the Irish fishing fleet to look forward to 2012 with optimism”.

The Federation of Irish Fishermen said they were relieved many of the “bizarre” cuts proposed cuts the European Commission had been reversed.

However, the industry was disappointed with reductions on the amount of monkfish and megrim.

Meanwhile, environmental groups, including Ocean 2012, were not impressed with catching limits set well beyond what scientists advised. They compared the fate of some species “like a five-tonne truck driving over a bridge with a three-tonne limit”.

Dr Edward Fahy, marine biologist with the Irish environmental pillar, claimed the Council of Ministers “had not given appropriate weight in their decision making to the scientific advice” and said Ireland lost more than half the initial weight of quotas over the past 30 years because of over-fishing.