Aontú Candidate for the Ireland South EU Elections, Patrick Murphy, has called for a full review of Europe’s Common Fishery Policy.
Mr Murphy was speaking from Brussels, where he is this week attending meetings of the North Western Waters Advisory Council in Ghent.
Mr Murphy said:
“Today we heard more about the dramatic cuts in total allowance catches, known to Industry as Quota or TAC’s, under Member state Regional Management and the Advice of the scientists in ICES, in a presentation by the Vice-chair, Joanne Morgan, who travelled from Canada to attend in person. These reductions are across most species in Our North West waters. I made the point that our fishing fleet has diligently followed the scientific advice for the past 10 years”
Mr Murphy continued:
“These stocks are continuously being revised downwards. I’ve requested that future advice must include the other mitigating factors attributed to the negative effects from climate change and other man made contributions such as increased pollution from our rivers flowing into our Seas and Oceans”.
“These changes, coupled with the massive changes in fish behaviour and their migration patterns, require a full review of our Common fishery Policy. Fishermen are suffering enormously under extremely heavy regulation, and play a vital service in terms of food production in Ireland”, concluded Mr Murphy.
Aontú representative Patrick Murphy is the CEO of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation which made headlines last year when the caused disruption to a Russian military exercise off the coast of Ireland.