Persecution of industry must cease

The EU summit meeting in Copenhagen at the end of the week will have to give grave consideration to the plight of Irish fishermen, who were yesterday effectively thrown out of their jobs.

It is almost unthinkable that, because of the EU quota system, Irish fishermen will be unable to go to sea until after January 1. However, that is the effect of Minister for the Marine Dermot Ahern's ban on all fishing for monkfish, prawns, megrims and white pollack.

The galling and infuriating problem is that other fleets are still entitled to fish the Irish waters from which our fishermen are banned.