Minister 'delighted' with new fish quotas

Minister for the Marine John Browne has today expressed his satisfaction at Ireland's new fishing quotas.

The Irish fishing industry has been allocated a limit of 200,000 tonnes of fish for 2007 following talks among EU fishing ministers.

The most notable increases are a 23% rise in haddock quotas, a 20% rise in hake, 14% in prawns and 7% in monkfish.

However, fishermen will have to reduce cod catches by 14% due to concerns about declining stocks.

"I am delighted with the result we obtained at this year's Fisheries Council," said Browne. "This was achieved this morning in the face of some of the most determined opposition we have experienced in recent years."

"Irish fish landings deliver €230m directly to fishermen in our coastal communities each year. The increased quotas delivered at this Council will add €20m to this figure, resulting in a total projected value of €250m in seafish being landed around the country in 2007.

"We have also successfully delivered long term measures to control the use of deep water gillnets. These include a ban on their use in waters deeper than 600 metres, restrictions in their length and the amount of time they can be left in the water, in line with scientific recommendations.

These nets are particularly harmful to species such as deep water sharks and monkfish and their un-restricted use flies in the face of the expert scientific advice. In my opinion, there is no justification for the un-restricted use of these nets, and I am relieved that the Commission has accepted Ireland's demands on this crucial issue.

"I believe that this will lead to improvements in the stock situation in Irish waters."