Mixed reaction as Ireland retains its fishing quota

IRELAND retains most of its 2007 fish quota for next year despite the European Commission seeking a 25% reduction in a deal that has been criticised by conservation groups who say it will further deplete fish stocks.

The traditional annual fish-quota-setting meeting of EU ministers ended when the deal was agreed yesterday morning.

It includes cod cuts of from 9% to 18% — far less than the 25% cut demanded — but which ministers justified using reports that cod stocks are showing signs of recovery. They also agreed to reduce by 10% the number of days boats can spend fishing cod in the Atlantic.

Irish fishermen praised ministers Mary Coughlan and John Browne for retaining the quota for key stocks such as monkfish, haddock and cod and for getting a 25% increase in horse mackerel and Rockhall haddock.

A proposal by the Portuguese presidency, supported by Spain, to reduce minimum net sizes for gill nets off the west coast of Ireland, from 120 millimetres to 100 millimetres, was defeated.

“Retention of 2007 quotas for key white fish stocks was a key achievement as was thwarting efforts to reduce the minimum size for gill-nets. Such a reduction would have been a huge setback to conservation efforts off our coastline and would have angered the entire Irish industry,” said Gerard O’Flynn of the Federation of Irish Fishermen.

Fianna Fáil MEP Seán Ó Neachtáin, who is a member of the European Parliament’s fisheries committee, said: “This deal will protect and enhance the interests of the Irish fishing industry. We should recall the Irish seafood sector in is worth €750 million per annum.”

The Government’s efforts to ban destructive fishing practices off the west of Ireland were praised by the World Wildlife Fund. This move is to help protect vulnerable coral reef but it bemoaned the fact France and Spain insisted on an opt-out for pelagic fisheries, such as herring and mackerel, through a licensing scheme.

But Greenpeace was scathing about the outcome describing it as “an ocean of missed opportunity” and said the ministers ignored scientific advice to significantly cut fishing quotas.

On cod quotas the ministers have set an 11% increase in North Sea cod total allowable catches (TAC) rather than an overall decrease on last year’s levels. In other cod stocks TACs have been cut by only 18% rather than the 25% proposed by the commission.

But despite deep cuts in quotas for fish including herring, plaice and blue whiting, and a continued ban on anchovy fishing in the Bay of Biscay, most countries were happy with the outcome.

European Fish Commissioner Joe Borg said the long-term plans for sustainable fisheries were respected in the deal.