Gallagher future - Fishing industry needs reform

SPECULATION on the political future of junior Marine Minister Pat ‘the Cope’ Gallagher was bound to flare up following rumours of a high-level rift within the Department of Marine over how to tackle an explosion of illegal fishing by Irish trawlers.

Mr Gallagher is widely tipped to be moved today in a mini Government reshuffle. Inevitably, and especially since the port of Killybegs, one of Ireland’s main fishing centres, is at the heart of his Donegal constituency, the minister’s name has been linked in political circles with a backbench Fianna Fáil revolt against Government moves to introduce stronger criminal sanctions against those found guilty of breaking EU fishery laws.

With Ireland reportedly facing EU fines of €40 million, politicians are finally facing up to the fact that this country has to deal with illegal fishing. The fundamental question is whether fishermen who break the law should face uncompromising criminal sanctions, with all that implies, or suffer purely administrative penalties.

At ministerial level, the lines of demarcation have been fudged. Normally, a senior minister exercises over-arching responsibility for his or her department.

But within the Marine Department, Mr Gallagher has enjoyed the status of a super-junior minister, albeit under the eye of senior minister Noel Dempsey.

Following the second derailment in the Dáil of the Sea Fisheries and Marine Jurisdiction Bill, 2005, Mr Dempsey has now redoubled his commitment to protect fish stocks with a range of tough penalties for illegal fishing.

While they have not clashed openly on the question of illegal fishing, privately the two ministers are at odds on the matter. With Mr Dempsey favouring an uncompromising crackdown on those found in breach of the law, relations between them are described as “cool”.

Significantly, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has given his strong backing to Mr Dempsey, corroborating the official view that there is serious evidence of over-fishing, that Ireland would have to comply with the law, and that this issue would have to be nipped in the bud.

That illegal fishing has being going on for years in Ireland’s territorial waters, where rich stocks of cod, mackerel, herring and white fish once abounded, is undeniable. Up to now, however, the finger of blame has pointed at an armada of Spanish boats.

Increasingly, a relatively small group of selfish Irish fishermen are being accused of plundering what stocks remain through deliberate over-fishing without regard for the future.

According to a growing body of scientific evidence, several species are now on the endangered list. Unfortunately, all fishermen are being tarred with the same brush, wrongly blamed for systematic illegal fishing on a massive scale.

Judging by briefings from official sources, illegal fishing is now a highly organised operation in Ireland, involving secret landings of fish at remote ports, cloak-and-dagger distribution networks and clandestine processing of thousands of tonnes at factories as far away as Scotland. Effectively, this dark web of intrigue is designed to circumvent official EU regulations.

No stranger to controversy, Mr Dempsey is facing the issue head on. As an indication of his determination to steer sanctions through rough Oireachtas waters, he has assumed responsibility for representing Ireland at the next round of EU meetings on the common fishery policy.

With questions hanging over Mr Gallagher’s future, heated debate continues on the real extent of over-fishing and quota busting. Despite claims that a handful of cowboys are to blame, the Government is deeply concerned over looming EU fines.

It is time to grasp the nettle and reform this important industry by cracking down relentlessly on illegal fishing.