The Labour Party has condemned the proposed reduction in the size of Ireland's protected fishing area, saying the Minister for the Marine, Minister Ahern, has "let-down the entire Irish fishing industry in his failure to protect the Irish Box."
Labour Party Marine Spokesperson, Mr Tommy Broughan made his comments following the publication the Irish Timestoday of a report that a memo issued by the Department of Defence last December confirmed the fishing industry's suspicions of an overly weak position taken by the Government at the outset of negotiations.
The memo transmitted to the Defence Forces' director of operations by the Department of Defence's executive branch on December 23rd last advised a "cautious approach" on fisheries protection of the box area.
Deputy Broughan said, "Dermot Ahern yesterday conceded that the Fisheries Commission proposals fell well-short of Irish interests. This is a direct result of the cautious, standoffish, softly-softly approach Dermot Ahern adopted innegotiations with the European Commission.
"Minister Ahern's claims that he has stood-up to the hard-line position of the Commission have been completely undermined by revelations in today's media thatthe Department of Defence argued for a cautious approach in negotiations about the Irish Box and this was relayed to the Minister.
"Ahern's 'caution' has served only to damage the fishing industry, possibly terminally."
Mr Broughan called for a change of tactics at the next Fisheries Council meeting, saying that anything less than maintenance of the Box "will represent the death knell for the fishing industry in Ireland."
