“FISHERMEN - NOT CRIMINALS: Irish Fishermen Demonstrate against Fisheries Legislation ”

Irish Fishermen from all corners of the country are congregating with their vessels to stage demonstrations in the ports of Dublin, Cork, Waterford, and Galway in protest at Government plans to introduce far-reaching and totally unacceptable legislation which will do nothing to tackle the real and threatening problems facing the sector, but have the effect of criminalising ordinary people trying to earn a living.

The Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Bill currently making its way through the Dáil will isolate Ireland and Irish fishermen even further from the advantages enjoyed by their EU colleagues in that it takes a purely criminal justice approach to fisheries control. Most fisheries offences in the EU are dealt with by on the spot type fines, which the EU and Fisheries Commissioner Borg have clearly indicated is the right way to go. Instead, the current bill goes in the completely opposite direction. Automatic confiscation of catch and gear for fisheries offences will be unique to Ireland among all EU countries which the Irish industry has to compete against.

"WE HAVE TO HAVE CONTROLS. WE HAVE TO HAVE MANAGEMENT - IT IS IN OUR INTEREST MORE THAN ANYBODY ELSE'S" SAID A FISHERMAN TODAY, COMMENTING ON THE PROTEST "BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE FAIRNESS, WE HAVE TO HAVE A LEVEL PLAYING PITCH AND IF THERE HAVE TO BE CRIMINAL RECORDS GIVEN OUT FOR VERY SERIOUS OFFENCES OR PERSISTENT BREACHES, SO BE IT, BUT WE ARE ALL GOING TO END UP AS CRIMINALS FOR EVEN MINOR OFFENCES IF THIS BILL GOES THROUGH."

Fishing industry leaders today rejected assertions from the Minister and the Government that such a system as the industry proposed could not be introduced on constitutional grounds, citing conclusive legal advice to the contrary obtained by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communication Marine & Natural Resources from some of the most eminent constitutional lawyers in the state.The Government promised to amend this bill fundamentally as it passed through the Oireachtas but it's proposed 102 changes published recently go nowhere in establishing the type of system needed.The Bill has caused major controversy in the Dáil so far with widespread opposition from all sides of the house, including a significant number of Government backbench TDs. The fishing industry leaders and fishermen today called for their public representatives to "walk the walk" instead of "talking the talk" as seems to be the case with some of them.

This peaceful protest is the latest stage in the industry's opposition to the Bill.

2nd February 2006