THE FEDERATION of Irish Fishermen has paid tribute to the Government for its handling of the EU negotiations in Brussels on next year's fish quotas.
"The successful resistance by Ireland of an attack on the long-standing Hague Preferences, which give Ireland an additional share of quota, is a highly significant achievement," federation chairman Gerard O'Flynn has said.
"The overturning of proposed cuts in economically vital species quotas such as nephrops [prawns] is welcomed as are increases in monk, haddock and other key white fish stocks," Mr O'Flynn said. "It took great resilience on the part of the Irish Ministers and their officials to achieve these positive results and FIF appreciates their efforts."
A proposed 15 per cent cut in prawn quotas was tailed back to 2 per cent, while a 33 per cent increase in the mackerel quota also includes a "roll over" of the 40,500 tonne quota for horse mackerel.
Total allowable catches of herring were reduced, reflecting the poor state of these stocks.
Significantly, a French proposal to reduce the mesh size of gill nets from 120mm to 100mm, thereby catching smaller fish, was resisted, with agreement on prohibition of use of these nets in continental shelf waters around Ireland.
Smaller mesh nets are now banned in depths of less than 200 metres, or within 50 miles of the Irish contour, to protect traditional stocks of cod, haddock and whiting.
New limits will also reduce the quantity of gill nets in each vessel by 20 per cent and limit the number of boats permitted to use this gear.
Mr O'Flynn paid tribute to Minister of State for Fisheries Tony Killeen, who handled the negotiations with the support of Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith.
He also said the "active involvement of the Taoiseach, Mr Cowen, was of great importance in relation to some key issues".
The Friends of the Irish Environment welcomed measures to control by-catches. However, it said that an increase in North Sea cod quotas was "particularly concerning, coming as it does after recommended protection for the cod in the Celtic Sea was also successfully resisted".
