Despite the extensive benefits to the Irish economy from EU membership, such benefits do not extend to the experience of the fishing industry.

"While this opportunity was rooted in the strongly negative views of fishing communities in relation to the Lisbon Treaty, it was a positive opportunity to present the case of Irish fishermen in a realistic and constructive manner to the current EU President", said Mr. O'Flynn who added "I had the opportunity to make a short presentation to Mr. Sarkozy as well as delivering to him in person a letter reinforcing FIF's views"

Recent significant increases in fuel costs have in themselves brought the Irish fleet to the brink of ruin. However, they have also focused Irish fishermens attention on deep and longstanding frustrations regarding the Irish share of EU fish quotas, inadequacies in scientific analysis which lead to absurd Total Allowable Catch (TAC) limits, the completely counterproductive and complex system of EU fisheries management and the lack of uniformity in the legal control systems despite the existence of a "Common" Fisheries Policy".

FIF called on President Sarkozy to institute a root and branch reform process of the Common Fisheries Policy to enable the addressing of key issues for the benefit of all EU fishermen including those in Ireland.

FIF impressed on the President the importance for Ireland of the so called "Hague Preferences" established in 1976, which recognised the underdeveloped state of the Irish industry and when applied annually to the establishment of TACs gives Ireland additional quota. These have to be renegotiated annually. FIF asked the President to ensure that the "Hague" figures are enhanced and permanently enshrined in EU law.

Mr. O'Flynn also stressed need the package of emergency aid agreed in principle last week in Brussels in response to the fuel crisis, to be finalised and significant additional EU funding provided to Irish fishermen immediately.

www.fishupdate.com is published by Special Publications. Special Publications also publish Fish Farmer, the Fish Industry Yearbook, the Scottish Seafood Processors Federation Diary, the Fish Farmer Handbook and a range of wallplanners.

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