The Minister for the Marine, Mr Ahern, has been urged to "stand firm" during this week's critical EU fisheries council in Brussels.
"Simplistic" and "anti-conservation" fisheries management measures proposed by the European Commission must be resisted, the Irish Fish Producers' Organisation and the Irish South and West Fishermen's Organisation said. The organisations made their appeal as the Minister opened a new €1.8 million boat repair yard at Killybegs fishery harbour centre in south Donegal at the weekend.
The Commission is seeking cuts in certain key fishing stocks, and an extension of the "days at sea" restriction from the north-west to the Irish Sea. The Irish South and West Fishermen's Organisation joined European fishermen at last week's protest in the Belgian port of Antwerp over the approach. Mr Mike Fitzpatrick of the organisation said it was only a "matter of time" before "days at sea" was extended to the south-west, and such a measure was of little or no conservation benefit. The effectiveness of conservation measures which had been in place for several years was not being assessed by the Commission, he said.
Mr Lorcán Ó Cinnéide, chief executive of the Irish Fish Producers' Organisation, said the Minister strongly supported the Irish industry's view in bilateral negotiations which he has already attended in advance of the council on December 17th. "He and his negotiating team will have to resist EU Agriculture and Fisheries Commissioner Franz Fischler's agenda as strongly as possible," he said.
"There must be a better way of doing our business than the present annual crisis management. We have to move to a system of genuine partnership and co-management between fishermen, scientists and administrators which is the hallmark of any successful fisheries management system worldwide."
The new boat repair yard opened by the Minister was designed to take account of health and safety, hygiene and environmental requirements. It was built to contain the emissions from shot blasting, cleaning and spray painting of boats.
The Minister unveiled a bronze plaque to commemorate the opening, and formally commissioned an art work by Ms Jackie McKenna, Manorhamilton, Co Leitrim. The sculpture project is part of the Government's Percent for Art Scheme which provides that all capital projects must include funds for an "art feature".