02 July 2012
The Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine will tomorrow afternoon hear from fishermen from the Donegal Islands.The Donegal Islands Fishermen’s Committee will address the theme ‘survival of the islands and impact of fishing restrictions’.
They will present their three year plan, which calls for “the fair treatment of small island communities, respect for fishermen as providers of sustainable seafood and as custodians of our fisheries and the sea”.
Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee Andrew Doyle TD said: “This Committee is currently engaged in a series of meetings on how best to harness Ireland’s marine potential. We look forward to meeting the Donegal Island fishing representatives tomorrow, who will present their three year plan to maintain the communities of Arranmore, Inishboffin, and Tory Island.
“In view of the increasing economic pressures on their communities, fishermen have called on the salmon drift net ban, instituted in 2006, to be relaxed. Our Committee will also seek their views on the on-going Common Fisheries Policy negotiations, a key priority for our Committee.”
The meeting takes place at 2 pm tomorrow Tuesday 3 July in Committee Room 3, LH 2000. Committee proceedings can be viewed online via this link: