The European Commissioner for Agriculture and Fisheries, Dr Franz Fischler, has accused the Irish Government of "misinterpreting" his proposals for fishing fleet size.
A spokesman for the Commissioner in Brussels has also denied that Dr Fischler misrepresented the views of his own scientists when addressing the question of cod stocks during his visit to Dublin on Monday.
In a statement supplied to fishing industry leaders in Dublin, Mr Fischler said he was "sick and tired reading over and over again, like in The Irish Times last Friday, that we propose to cut the Irish whitefish fleet by 40 per cent".
This was "simply not true", Commissioner Fischler said. "Nobody among you will be forced to scrap his vessel. It will be your choice whether you want to stay in business or if you want to leave. All we do \ is make you a better offer than before by increasing the premium you would receive if you decide to leave the sector," the Commissioner said in a reference to his plan published late last month to compensate fishermen who chose to opt out.
The Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Mr Ahern, has warned repeatedly of the threat of 40 per cent cuts in whitefish fleet, since this figure was revealed in a European Commission document or "roadmap" for the future of the Common Fisheries Policy published last May. A spokesman for the Commissioner said yesterday the Minister was "incorrect".
Meanwhile, scientists on the Commissioner's own advisory committee are said to be angry over the Commissioner's statement in Dublin on Monday that they endorsed a complete ban on cod fishing in northern waters, as recommended last month by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. The Commissioner said he was not accepting this advice because of the impact on fishermen.
