The Minister for the Marine, Mr Pat The Cope Gallagher, said this morning he was "disappointed" with a significant reduction in Ireland's mackerel quota after overnight talks in Brussels.
Quotas for haddock, hake, monkfish and prawn, were increased and ministers decided to disregard proposals to declare huge swathes of sea off-limits for trawlers if viable alternatives could be worked out to safeguard such threatened fish as the once-common cod.
Ministers instead opted for imposing further curbs on permitted fishing times and cut national catch allowances.
"These are necessary measures, without economically damaging fleets. There will be less fishing and more protection of stocks," EU Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg told a news conference after talks which went into the early hours of this morning.
The creation of no-fishing zones off Ireland, Scotland and Denmark to let threatened stocks recover had been a key part of the European Commission's proposals. The unexpected departure from that principle left environmentalists outraged.
Mr Jason Whooley, manager of the Irish South and West Fisherman's Association
Mr Gallagher told RTÉ radio this morning: "Of course I'm disappointed at the decision to reduce the mackerel quota by 27,000 tonnes but in terms of white fish I'm quite satisfied that we have quotas for the Irish fishing fleet this year which I hope will be very beneficial to coastal Ireland where there is no alternative source of employment."
"We have a substantial increase in blue whitings and of course we have retained our quota of horse mackerel," he added.
He said he found Commissioner Borg "very pragmatic and very understanding of the Irish situation."
Mr Gallagher said he was successful in securing 14 fishing days a month for the industry in Ireland, a day more than the Commission proposed.
Mr Jason Whooley, manager of the Irish South and West Fisherman's Association (IS&WFA) told ireland.com: "In general we are reasonably happy with the deal. We have a significant increase in key quota areas."
Monkfish quotas have been increased by 20 per cent, haddock by 20 per cent, prawn by 12 per cent and hake by 9 per cent.
Speaking from Brussels, Mr Whooley added: "This is a significant boost but, as is the way with a negotiated common fisheries policy, there are disappointments.
"We had supported the no-fishing zone which would be closed from January to March, but a political intervention means that for one of these months larger trawlers will be allowed in. This is not helpful in the management and conservation of cod stocks."
Fine Gael's marine spokesman, Mr John Perry, welcomed the increases for certain stocks but said a clear strategy was now needed to help those mackerel fishermen whose livelihoods will be "annihilated" by the reduction in Ireland's mackeral quota.
"With a reduction of 27,000 tonnes of mackerel per year, mackerel fishermen and their communities will be absolutely devastated by this morning's news," he said.