Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. County Wexford has a strong maritime tradition, a strong fishing community and a strong sense of justice, stemming from our proud history of resistance to colonialism and oppressive laws. It is no surprise that this Bill is not welcome in County Wexford or throughout all coastal communities on this island and despite the Government being informed by all major stakeholders in the fishing industry that this law is bad. The fishing industry now faces major issues from Brexit and the loss of 15% of our quotas. This industry is just about surviving. This Bill has many faults. It is imperative to apply the law of the land as in a manner equal to the law of the sea. However, this is not the case. The law of the land states one is innocent until proven guilty, but this Bill is contrary to that sacred principle, because it holds the legal threshold of the balance of probabilities over the principle of reasonable doubt. Another major flaw in this Bill is that penalty points remain on the licence, even when the accused has successfully appealed to the courts. We are calling for this legislation to be redrafted. We need a complete renegotiation of the Common Fisheries Policy that would rebuild the valuable Irish fishing industry, which contributes millions of euro to the Irish economy every year and employs thousands of people.

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