Fishing industry representatives have welcomed commitments given by the Taoiseach yesterday to challenge current EU restrictions affecting the north-west fleet.
The Taoiseach also pledged that he would fight "tooth and nail" to defend the Irish Box, through legal means if necessary, according to Mr Lorcan Ó Cinneide of the Irish Fish Producers' Organisation (IFPO) and Mr Sean O'Donoghue of the Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation (KFO).
Both industry leaders spoke with Mr Ahern at lunchtime yesterday after an hour-long meeting in Government Buildings, also attended by the Minister for the Marine, Mr Dermot Ahern, and the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Ms Coughlan.
The Minister for the Marine, who is due to meet EU Agriculture and Fisheries Commissioner, Dr Franz Fischler, in Strasbourg next week, described the discussion as "very positive".
The Taoiseach gave a firm political commitment to support specific initiatives. "I will say that the meeting went very well when I see the actual money approved for this," Mr Ó Cinneide said.
The specific initiatives approved by the Taoiseach include funding for research into cod stocks in the north-west, which would support alternatives to the EU's "days at sea" restriction, and a recovery programme based on the model already applied in the Irish Sea.
The industry pointed out that Government policy had been to press for alternative ways of protecting stocks, through a combination of "technical measures", such as larger mesh size and area closures during spawning. This approach had been implemented by fishermen in a number of fisheries over the past three years.
Ireland has been unsuccessful in convincing the EU Commission its approach could work.
