Deputy Catherine Connolly has called on the Government to take urgent action to protect fish stocks within the six nautical mile zone and to provide for the sustainability of our indigenous inshore fishing community.
The call has come following a decision by the Court of Appeal’s on March 10, to strike down the Government’s Policy Directive one of 2019 which prevents fishing vessels over 18 meters in length overall, from operating trawl or seine nets within the six nautical mile zone, causing significant consequences for local inshore fishing communities.
The policy, which was set to come into effect on January 1, 2020, has been stalled due to the lack of notification by Irish Government to the EU and the UK, something which has proved detrimental to policy enforcement and was successfully appealed this week by two small fishermen from Kerry. Dingle based fisherman, Tom Kennedy and Castletownbere based fisherman Neil Minihane won their appeal on March 13.
An integral part of the lack of implementing of the policy, which was introduced by then Marine Minister, Michael Creed in 2019, was due to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine and the department to notify Britain and the EU, that the conservation and management measures would potentially affect non Irish vessels. By failing to notify both parties, the policy went against a reciprocal access known as ‘voisinage’, which allows Irish registered fishing vessels to fish within the six nautical zone and visa versa. This lack of communication rendered the policy directive as invalid.
The consequences of the Government’s failure is a cause of great concern, said Deputy Connolly, particularly given the Court’s endorsement of the actual policy itself.
In this regard, Deputy Connolly said that urgent action is now required from the Government. In the first instance, clarification as to how the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine failed to comply with its obligations regarding the mandatory notice to the EU and the UK, which ultimately led to the Court of Appeal making an Order quashing the Government’s Policy Directive in its entirety.
Of equal importance, she said, a timescale for the reintroduction of this essential policy must be provided as a matter of urgency. As it currently stands, the Government is no closer to fulfilling its 2020 Programme for Government commitment to, “ensure that inshore waters continue to be protected for smaller fishing vessels and recreational fishers and that pair trawling will be prohibited inside the six-mile limit.”
