Govt urged to reconsider advice on fisheries legislation

The Oireachtas marine committee has called on the Government to reconsider the legal advice it has received in relation to controversial new fisheries legislation.

Fishermen are vehemently opposed to the new Fisheries Bill, which regards breaches of fishing regulations as criminal offences.

The fishermen instead want a system of 'administrative' punishments like on-the-spot fines, but the Government says the Attorney General is of the view that the offences can only be dealt with through the criminal code.

The Oireachtas marine committee has sought its own legal advice on the matter and chairman Noel O'Flynn said today that this advice had indicated there was no legal impediment to administrative sanctions.

Speaking as the committee prepares to discuss the new legislation, Mr O'Flynn said such a system was already in place in many areas and there was no reason why it could not be applied to the fishing industry.

"We already have [administrative sanctions] in inland fisheries, we already have them with the penalty points, with paid parking and it's our advice that there's no legal impediment," he said.