Ahern: ‘restrictions on Irish fishing waters have to be addressed’

The Minister for the Marine Dermot Ahern is warning that Ireland is facing an uphill battle in the bid to get restrictions on fishing waters around our coast.

He is due to attend a meeting of EU fisheries ministers tomorrow. That meeting will consider an Italian proposal for a new restricted zone off our coast.

Mr Ahern claims that the proposal does not go far enough.

He will be pushing for alternative measures that he says would protect the important spawning grounds and juvenile areas around the coast for key whitefish stocks.