The Minister for the Marine, Mr Fahey, has called for "more imagination" from the European Commission following its threat to impose severe cuts in next year's whitefish quotas.
Cuts of up to 60 per cent have been proposed for some whitefish species, and the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Commissioner, Mr Franz Fischler, has described the situation of stocks as "alarming".
"Too many boats are competing for too few fish," he said in Brussels yesterday, without making any reference to problems of enforcing the Commission's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).
Mr Fischler said decisive action was the only way forward. "I trust that EU fisheries ministers will show courage and resolve to refrain from political horse-trading," he added, referring to the forthcoming fisheries council dealing with quotas on December 17th and December 18th.
Responding, Mr Fahey acknowledged there was a serious problem with stock levels. However, he would prefer to see a more sustainable approach which included technical conservation measures, closure of spawning areas and recovery plans.
He said Ireland was participating in three recovery plans at present: the Irish Sea cod plan, which had halted the decline in stocks, and recovery measures for cod and hake off the south coast initiated earlier this year.
Mr Fahey said drastic cuts would have a far greater impact on smaller states like Ireland. The Commission must accept a need for a sustainable industry as well as sustainable stocks.
He said it would be "impossible" for any industry to deal with a 60 per cent cut in raw material supply in one year. Some of the Commission's proposals went beyond scientific advice.
In a reference to control measures, he said the forthcoming review of CFP must take a broad approach. A recent report on control and enforcement published by the Commission had criticised the "fragmented" nature of enforcement and said the lack of consistency had undermined fishermen's confidence in the policy.
The study said several states had failed to report infringements within their waters properly and, in some cases, not at all. Fines had also been so light as to "hardly" amount to a deterrent.
Fishermen's confidence in the policy has also been undermined by the Commission's failure to take any action over "flag of convenience" vessels which register in another member-state to avail of a quota.
