26 July 2001 Edition
Ferris slams vessel arrest
In a statement issued this week, North Kerry Sinn Féin councillor Martin Ferris has slammed Monday's arrest by the 26-County Navy of an Irish fishing vessel.
Ferris will be meeting with the 26-County Minister for the Marine, Frank Fahy tomorrow (Friday 27 July), as part of a delegation from Kerry County Council. The delegation will represent the views of Irish tuna fishermen and protest at what they see as the forced decline of the Irish fishing industry in general.
The Sinn Féin Leinster House candidate said that the arrest, which took place off the South-West coast, highlighted the unequal way in which Irish fishing vessels are dealt with, as compared to the treatment of their European counterparts.
``Minister Fahy and his government are criminalising hard-working Irish fishermen and depriving them of their livelihood by enforcing a statutory instrument that is only applicable to Irish-registered vessels. It is disgraceful, the manner in which the Irish government are treating their own citizens,'' he said.
Irish territorial waters make up 16 per cent of the EU fishing area, yet the Irish state is only allocated four per cent of the EU's annual fish quota. In addition, Irish fishermen are restricted to the use of 2.5 km nets, while their EU counterparts are allowed use 7km nets. Ferris says that the fishing industry in Ireland has been devastated by the complicity of the Dublin government with unfair EU laws.
``They are punishing Irish tuna fishermen and are turning a blind eye to the much greater damage being done by foreign-owned vessels.''
Ferris will be meeting with the 26-County Minister for the Marine, Frank Fahy tomorrow (Friday 27 July), as part of a delegation from Kerry County Council. The delegation will represent the views of Irish tuna fishermen and protest at what they see as the forced decline of the Irish fishing industry in general.
The Sinn Féin Leinster House candidate said that the arrest, which took place off the South-West coast, highlighted the unequal way in which Irish fishing vessels are dealt with, as compared to the treatment of their European counterparts.
``Minister Fahy and his government are criminalising hard-working Irish fishermen and depriving them of their livelihood by enforcing a statutory instrument that is only applicable to Irish-registered vessels. It is disgraceful, the manner in which the Irish government are treating their own citizens,'' he said.
Irish territorial waters make up 16 per cent of the EU fishing area, yet the Irish state is only allocated four per cent of the EU's annual fish quota. In addition, Irish fishermen are restricted to the use of 2.5 km nets, while their EU counterparts are allowed use 7km nets. Ferris says that the fishing industry in Ireland has been devastated by the complicity of the Dublin government with unfair EU laws.
``They are punishing Irish tuna fishermen and are turning a blind eye to the much greater damage being done by foreign-owned vessels.''