The Dunmore East Fishermen's Co-Op has expressed concern for its members' lives if the 24-hour helicopter search-and-rescue service promised for Waterford is instead located in Cork.
The Government confirmed last year that 24-hour cover would be reinstated at the South East Regional Airport from January 1st, with the Newfoundland-based CHC Helicopter Corporation to operate the service on an agency basis for the Irish Coast Guard.
However, with a question mark hanging over the airport's future after January 26th, when Euroceltic Airways is to withdraw its passenger services, the Irish Coast Guard has been forced to examine alternatives, including the use of Cork Airport as a base for the service.
Other options under consideration include the extension of existing services in Dublin and Shannon to cover the south and south-east coasts.
Mr Neil Whittle of the Dunmore East Fishermen's Co-Op, which represents hundreds of trawler crews operating out of the Co Waterford harbour, said the welfare of fishermen must be protected, irrespective of the airport's overall fate.
"It can come down to a matter of seconds and minutes at times if men have boats that leak or that get in too close to shore or their engines break down. We need that service and our members' lives depend on it," he said.
"While the fishing industry is preoccupied with other issues at the moment, we expect our politicians to fight tooth and nail for this service also. We have an excellent lifeboat service, but it needs to be backed up by air support."
However, the chairman of the South East Regional Airport, Mr Nicholas Fewer, said that while time was short, he was confident that a resolution to the airport's current difficulties could be found.
"We are continuing discussions with a possible replacement airline and are awaiting a response from the Department of Transport to our written submission," he said.