Sir, It seems most inappropriate that Dr Garret FitzGerald (December 30th) should urge good relations with Germany only days before a recently modernised Spanish trawling fleet gained access up to 12 miles from our coast. This EU ruling, which will send many of our smaller fishing vessels to quay wall idleness originally stems from German motives.
Perhaps observant of the political strife created by unemployment in Northern Ireland, Germany was deeply concerned to protect its heavy investments in northern Spain. Thus Germany saw a prosperous Spanish fishing industry as essential, and used its powerful influence in the EU to help fishing industry interests their. So keen was this motive that has been national grant aiding communications in northern Spain to assist industry, noting the Madrid Basque conflict.
Germany imports 85 per cent of its fish requirements, and although Spain is not a major supplier, Bonn, long before Spain became a full member, realised the value of Irish fishing grounds.
These, being a short trip from Spain, will always be a source of fresh, not processed, fish which, as in the case of Spanish landings in Castletownbere and Killybegs, is road hauled away with minimum benefit to Ireland.
I well recall Dr FitzGerald extolling the advantages to Ireland's fishing industry when we became EU members particularly in terms of export opportunities, but now even Norway enjoys Substantial tariff concessions with its exports to the fish starved EU packet. And Norway keeps its fishing grounds. Yours, etc., Seapoint Avenue, Blackrock Co Dublin.