A leading Irish fishing industry representative has called on the Government to restate its commitment to reform of the EU's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), as fisheries ministers meet in Brussels today.
Mr Sean O'Donoghue, chief executive of the Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation and a former government official, said the Government needed to take a "major initiative" over the coming weeks if a sustainable future for the fishing industry was to be secured.
The European Commission is moving into the final phase of reviewing the controversial policy, and hopes to have it completed by December. Details of the reform - and a plan drawn up for the Agriculture and Fisheries Commissioner, Mr Franz Fischler - to encourage fishermen to take up fish farming, are on the agenda in Brussels today.
Last week, Mr O'Donoghue described what he termed the "huge disillusionment" right around the coast over Europe's attitude to the Irish marine industry during a Forum on Europe session in Ennis, Co Clare. Mr O'Donoghue was a former senior negotiator with the Department of Marine and Natural Resources and also served with Bord Iascaigh Mhara before moving to take up the post with the fishing industry in Killybegs.
Dealing with Brussels was "always an uphill battle", he said, and he disputed claims by farmers' representatives who said that lobbying could be effective. After 30 years, Ireland still had only four per cent of catch from 11 per cent of community waters.
Mr O'Donoghue was responding to an appeal to fishing communities for a "Yes" vote in the Nice referendum, made by Mr Padraic White, chairman of the Government's National Strategy Review Group on reform of the CFP. Mr White said that the Irish fishing industry stood a much better chance of success in its legitimate aspirations in a "post-Nice situation" later this year if Ireland voted to ratify the treaty.
The European Commission proposals on Common Fisheries Policy reform were published at the end of May and contain six documents with a further twelve documents to follow.