Irish Examiner View: A huge blow to fishing industry 

European Commission says Ireland cannot be trusted to police  its fishing quotas 

The European Commission claims we are not to be trusted to police our own fising quotas.

The import of the European Commission ruling that Ireland cannot be trusted to police fishing quotas allocated under the common fisheries policy cannot be underestimated. Essentially, the EC finds that our systems are corrupt or incompetent - or, dread thought, both.

It is an established thread in the narrative around our relationship with the EU that our fishing sector was sold down the Swanee in return for farm supports. This ruling suggests that story is, at best, a distraction from what really goes on in our fishing industry. 

The EC has ended a 2012 derogation allowing fish to be weighed at factories because our regulators cannot guarantee to uncover fraud. Penalties in the form of the loss of thousands of tonnes of fishing quota and the loss of up to €40m in Commission funding are likely after the audit.

This finding is just the last in a litany across nearly every sector of society showing a disdain for the security honesty offers.

When will we, once again, ever learn?