Republican News · Thursday 31 January 2002

Ferris grills Minister on fishing

Martin Ferris questioned the Minister for the Marine, Noel Ahern, in the Dáil on Tuesday on how the government proposes to protect the Irish fishing industry in light of the recent legal decision to open up the Irish Box conservation area and the ongoing review of the Common Fisheries Policy.

At Question Time, the Sinn Féin spokesperson on the Marine asked the minister if he agreed that the current threats were an inevitable consequence of the failure by successive governments since 1973 to protect the national interest in this area.

"When one bears in mind that €120 billion of fish have been taken from Irish waters since we joined the EU, it is surely time that Irish fishermen were given some compensation for the massive contribution which our fisheries have made to the economies of the other member states," said Ferris. "And yet what we are faced with instead are further cuts in the Total Allowable Catch and drastic reductions in the fleet with all the consequences that will have for our coastal fishing communities."