Allister slams Nicholson for backing Republic of Ireland fishermen

07 December 2005

 

"I am astounded by the action of UUP MEP, Jim Nicholson, in signing a letter declaring opposition to a Draft Bill in the Dail, which causes the Republic to catch up with other EU countries in imposing criminal sanctions for breaches of fishing policy by Republic of Ireland fishermen.

 

For years we in the UK, and thus our fishermen working in the Irish Sea, have been subject to UK legislation which makes those who breach fishing rules and regulations subject to criminal prosecution, resulting at times in huge penalties. Indeed at this very time we have a group of Kilkeel fishermen awaiting trial at Liverpool Crown Court.

 

To the competitive disadvantage of Northern Ireland fishermen the Republic of Ireland had no such legislation.  This is in clear breach of EU requirements.  So Northern Ireland fishermen were at risk of severe fines but their southern competitors escaped scot-free.

 

Indeed so defiant was the Republic of Ireland of Brussels' requirements that it didn't even trouble itself to make requisite annual returns to the Commission.  I drew critical attention to this both in the Fisheries Committee and in correspondence with Commissioner Borg. (I attach previous statements.) I believe the pressure I was applying in the interests of securing a level playing field for our fishermen, contributed to the Dublin Government being forced by Brussels into publishing its proposed legislation.

 

In an effort to avoid such legislation applying to their fishermen, Irish MEPs have launched a campaign in Brussels against the Dail proposals. They, along with de Brun, who of course is ever ready to serve Southern interests, before Northern interests, have joined to send a letter to the relevant committee in the Dail, seeking to derail the proposed legislation.

 

The source of my amazement is that the UUP MEP has joined de Brun from Northern Ireland in signing this correspondence. Why does Mr Nicholson not want Republic of Ireland fishermen subjected to penalties to which Northern Ireland fishermen have been subjected for years? Jim Nicholson owes a very clear explanation to the fishermen of Ulster as to why he is assisting their competitors to escape criminal sanctions, thereby giving them unfair competitive advantage."

 

 

PREVIOUS STATEMENTS

 

Spain makes mockery of fishing regulations says Allister

16 June 2005

Statement by DUP MEP Jim Allister:

 

"The European Commission, by a Regulation introduced in 1999, requires Member States to make an annual return of infringements of the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy.

 

The report for the year 2003 has just been published and makes amazing reading.  It shows a total of 9502 cases of serious infringement covering such matters as illegal fishing, tampering with records, obstructing fisheries inspectors, using prohibited fishing gear, breach of mesh sizes and fishing with falsified documents.  Spain - who gains the most under the Common Fisheries Policy - is the prime culprit with one third of the total of serious infringements, followed by Italy and Portugal.  The United Kingdom - ever zealous in implementing EU regulation - has a mere 91 infringements compared to Spain's 3158 and the Republic of Ireland's 103, even though its fleet is only one fifth the size of that of the UK.

 

The level of fines imposed for these breaches is equally enlightening.  For example, the average fine for unauthorised fishing in Belgium was 375 EUR but in the UK it was 19,255 EUR.  The average fine in Germany for falsifying data was 98 EUR but in the UK it was 132,056 EUR!  Overall, the average fine for serious infringement in the UK was 77,922 EUR whereas in Finland it was 282 EUR.

 

The average fines imposed in the Republic of Ireland are unknown because, in breach of the Regulation, the Irish authorities have failed to make the information available.

 

These figures, in the fishing area as in so many other areas, demonstrate that the UK assiduously, even fanatically, implements EU regulations while other countries largely turn a blind eye and impose laughable penalties.

 

Being grossly dissatisfied with the disparity which these figures illustrate, I am writing to Commissioner Borg to establish what remedial steps he proposes to take against the offending countries, not least the Republic of Ireland and its contemptuous failure to even provide information on penalties.

 

The Common Fisheries Policy has not only been a disaster in its content for the United Kingdom but, as these figures illustrate, in its implementation it is permitted to be wholly partisan".

 

 

Allister demands equality in fishery sector

30 August 2005

DUP MEP Jim Allister today raised with the EU Commission at the Fisheries Committee in Brussels, the failure of the Republic of Ireland to honour its obligations under Council Regulation EC 1447/1999 to make full and proper returns about how it has dealt with infringements of fishing policy regulations.

The 1999 Regulation requires each state to report on the number of infringements detected and the penalties imposed. The latest figures show the UK top the list of fines, with an average penalty of 78,000 Euro per infringement, whereas most countries' average is in hundreds of euros, while the Republic of Ireland hasn't bothered to make returns as to any fines imposed.

 

Mr Allister said:

"The perception in my country, the UK, is that our government is assiduous, to the point of being fanatical, about imposing EU Regulations, while others happily ignore their obligations.  These figures seem to bear out this perception.  In the fishery sector we have to compete with others, yet we find that our nearest neighbour is getting away with flagrant breach of its responsibilities, fuelling a belief that while our fishermen play by the rules others have the advantage of flouting the rules.  It is up to the Commission to demonstrate that it will not tolerate such a situation.  I am, therefore, looking for appropriate infringement proceedings against the offending countries.  All must be equal before EU law and all equally subject to it."

In response the Commission representative indicated infringement proceedings were indeed an option being examined and more information should emerge in due course.

 

 

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