IRELAND’S SUCCESSFUL opposition to the privatisation of national fish quotas has been hailed as a breakthrough by Minister for the Marine Simon Coveney.
He welcomed the Danish presidency proposal at yesterday’s EU Fisheries Council meeting in Brussels allowing each state to implement its own management arrangement for quotas.
“Ireland had strongly opposed the EU Commission proposal that would have required all members state to privatise national quotas and allow them to be traded on the open market.’’
Mr Coveney said that privatising fish quotas would have been a serious threat to the economic survival of coastal communities in Ireland.
“If fish quotas were traded on the open market they could be bought by international corporations and would no longer be landed into Ireland.
“This would directly threaten economic activity in our main fishing ports with the loss of jobs, not only in the fleet but also in the vital fish-processing sector.’’
Labour TD for Cork South West Michael McCarthy welcomed Ireland’s “big win’’, adding that the Irish fishing industry would have been decimated if the proposal was implemented.
“This is a real chink of light for indigenous fishing communities and it will have a direct and beneficial impact on coastal areas like west Cork, where it will secure and sustain jobs in the area.’’
