A threatened blockade of several main ports has been called off following a meeting in Athlone today of fishermen and their representatives.
Protest leader John Walsh said the fishermen were disappointed at a meeting with two Government ministers but would postpone their planned action "to give them a chance to deliver on their promises of both short-term and long-term assistance subject to EU approval" later this month.
He said fishermen would meet following a meeting of the EU Council on the 23rd or 24th of June to discuss the situation.
Fishermen had planned to resume their blockade of Cork port, and to extend it to Dublin and Foynes, Co Limerick early next week if there was no satisfactory outcome to yesterday's negotiations.
Some 250 skippers and crew were due in Athlone this morning to discuss the outcome of yesterday's talks with Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Brendan Smith and his junior counterpart Tony Killeen.
Following last night's meeting, both ministers said they would expedite a “new EU-funded package of measures to alleviate the immediate issues of concern to the Irish fishing industry”.
Fine Gael Spokesperson on Fisheries, Michael Creed TD, commended the Federation of Irish Fishermen for its positive engagement with Ministers Smith and Killeen. He said he "shares the concerns of the fishing industry who are frustrated with the Government’s failure to commit to long-term solutions to the problems it faces."