Fishermen meeting in Athlone, Co Westmeath, today to discuss the suspension of their protests have opted to await the outcome of the next EU Fisheries Council on July 15th in relation to the fuel price crisis.
The group of around 400 fishing skippers and crews have called for immediate action from the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries Brendan Smith and his junior counterpart, Tony Killeen, on a number of domestic issues. These include introduction of administrative penalties for minor offences, the problem of discards and conservation, including control of Irish waters.
The group said that if there isn't a response from the Ministers on these issues they will protest at the forthcoming visit to Ireland of the French President Nicolas Sarkozy on July 11th.
A committee of 15 has been set up by the group, drawn from a number of ports and there was strong criticism at the meeting of the Federation of Irish Fishermen (FIF), the umbrella organisation representing 90 per cent of vessels over 12 metres in length.
The FIF did not send a representative to the discussions in Athlone.