“Misleading Statements in Press Release on new CFP scoreboard”

Jason Whooley, Manager of the Irish South and West Fishermens Organisation has today reacted to misleading information contained in a European Commission Press Release concerning a new report on levels of compliance with the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). "The first thing that sprang to mind when I read the Press Release was that it is a case of lies, damned lies and statistics. The Commissions Press Release states that Ireland and Spain have the worst record for overfishing in 2004. However, what they don’t make clear is that this refers only to quota overruns which is only one category covered in the report. A thorough reading of this report and also the reports from previous years will show that Irish fishermen represent a tiny fraction of the fisheries offences in Europe. In addition, these reports have repeatedly shown that Irish fishermen face the toughest penalties in Europe for fisheries offences. The proposed Fisheries Bill contains even harsher penalties and if it is passed it will put us even further on top of the European compliance table."

Mr Whooley added "We are appalled that the Commissions Press Office have lazily misrepresented their own report with this Press Release. On the issue of quota overshoots the detailed report gives figures for 2002, 2003 and 2004. In these three years Ireland overshot their quota only 5 times out of 187 stocks. Some of these overruns were as low as 1%. A small quota overrun can occur quite easily at the end of the year. Legally a Member State is entitled to overshoot their quota and the overshoot amount can be deducted from their following years quota."

19th January 2006