Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
THE GOVERNMENT HAS proposed amending the Sea Fisheries Act to allow boats from Northern Ireland to fish very close to Irish shores.
The amendment, which is only one-page long, would allow fishing vessels registered in Northern Ireland to fish up to 6 nautical miles of the Republic of Ireland’s coast.
The Sea Fisheries Amendment was originally meant to pass all stages in Seanad yesterday, which includes debate, amendments, a final vote, and changes.
But due to time constraints, there was no vote and the bill proceeded to next stage. The only amendment that was suggested was by Fianna Fáil, who wanted to limit the size of the ship to 15 metres (50 feet), which is still quite large but would exclude super trawlers.
Although it’s not unusual for a short amendments to go through all on the same day, it is unusual that it proceeded before a vote.
Grace O’Sullivan, a Green-party senator, voiced her concern that there was no consultation before the bill moved to the next stage.
The bill is being put through in light of Supreme Court judgement that found Northern Ireland vessels were fishing for mussels in Irish waters, as the amendment would now make their actions legal.
Why?
The reason why they want to do this is because Irish law is out of sync with a fishing agreement called the Voisinage arrangement which have been in place as part of the London Fisheries Convention 1964.
The Supreme Court found that these arrangements were valid but that there’s insufficient provision for them in our laws.
According to the Department of Agriculture, these long-standing reciprocal arrangements “allow fishing boats from Northern Ireland to fish for all fish stocks within the 0 to 6 nautical mile zone of the territorial waters of the State and vice versa“.
The Supreme Court described the arrangement as a sensible recognition at official level of practice and tradition, where fishing boats traditionally fished neighbouring waters.
According to the Department:
The Bill will, if enacted, fulfil Ireland’s obligations and ensure that the Voisinage arrangements are given a proper legal footing.
“In light of the Supreme Court judgment, fishing by Northern Ireland vessels in the territorial waters of the State under the Voisinage arrangements is not permitted by law.
However, Irish-registered fishing boats continue to be provided with access to fish in coastal waters around Northern Ireland under the arrangements.
The Department said that there was “regular and positive engagement” between Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed and the corresponding agriculture minister in the North, Michelle McIlveen.
Brexit issue
Brexit has the potential to make the fishing industry in Ireland even more complicated. When the UK leaves the EU, it will be in a different fishing zone to Ireland, so there will be a complicated renegotiation on where the two countries’ vessels will be allowed to operate.
It’s also unknown whether some Dutch vessels which are registered in Northern Ireland, will be allowed to fish along Irish shores if the amendment is brought in.
The Seanad is in recess next week. The bill is expected to undergo Committee stage in the coming weeks.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Lovely, by the looks of it, another loophole to be wedged, ripped open and abused because of a total lack of foresight.
my best friends daddy got Hyundai Tucson SUV by working part time off of a pc. browse
around this site…………. http://gee.su/A0237
Ireland should have one of the best fishing industries in the world worth billions to the country,our politicians gave it away for basically nothing,to give away one of our strongest resources we had by a few corrupt people is criminal.meanwhile enda still thrives on being the best boy in the class at these eu summits is really nauseating to watch,his to weak to upset the apple cart and claim back what’s ours
@dick dastardly: spot on Richard, the traitors of the time were happy to bow to European gurriers who were only too happy to steal such a priceless resource from a developing country, which Ireland was at the time.
@dick dastardly:
Name a country anywhere in the world that has become an economic superpower from fishing.
Surely the Pacific islanders should be the richest countries in the world with half the Pacific Ocean to themselves.
Norway, Netherlands, Japan, Spain, Portugal all have a fishing fleet that contribute as much to their economies as farming does to ours.
The difference is they consume a lot more fish than we do and we have a larger(with the exception of Portugal) fishing ground.
Very few countries build their economies on one or two industries as if one bursts you can use the others to sustain you.
It’s something we aren’t very good at in this country.
The cap grants the Ireland has received from the EU is not nothing
Ireland & Norway had the richest fisheries in the region, the ‘had’ part does not apply to Norway, it was a theft at the time by the EEC which morphed into the EU, another tool for the vested interests.
Why are people always blaming governments for allowing our national resources be exploited by others and then go vote for them any way.
Get out and vote for an alternative.
Stop voting for FF and FG they have stripped the country bare.
when Ireland was offered to join the eu back in the 70′s the government agreed to give the Eu access to 90% of our fishing grounds which left Irish fishermen only 10% in exchange for farming subsides for crop failure ect. Eu boats are taking 9billion a year out of our fishing grounds which is rightfully the Irish people resources. If the government stood up for what is rightfully the Irish people’s resources instead there just happy to please other countries by giving it all away. No wonder why everyone thinks the Irish are a great bunch of people. When we’re actually the laughing stock. Sad really .
Because we’re lick arse nation to anyone our gov think will look favourably on, just like when sarcozy slapped Enda on head for being good boy and doing what we’re told, lapdogs
FG or Frakfurt’s Gestapo have a history of being anti Irish and siding with foreign demands. FG/LAB government in power during the Dublin and Monaghan bombings sent all the evidence to the UK. FG leader O Duffy and First Garda commissioner backed Franco in the Spanish civil war with he support of the Catholic church. Catholic Church in Ireland with all the various scandals the Irish kapo political class of FG/FF/LAB/Greens stood by and watched all the abuse take place. FG/FF/LAB led governments gave away or oil, fishing and gas but made sure the Irish people picked up 42% of Eu banking debt to please there masters in Berlin and Brussels plus the Franco Germany control is kept. Enda in latest reports telling the UK to pay up 52 billion by his master Merkel. Enda want s another pat of his head and expect another pat from Trump in Washington presenting a bowel of weeds to Trump by a spinelss weed on 2 legs.
have your say