Seanad debates
Thursday, 21 November 2002
Fisheries (Amendment) Bill, 2002: Second Stage.
The legislation before the House is directly in line with what is required in Europe. Nobody who has a commitment to or is supportive of the fishing industry could oppose it. There may be a line here or there with which one would have a difficulty but the thrust of the Bill has to be supported. We need it. The requirement that things have to be landed in a certain port makes sense if one is sitting in Brussels. If you are the skipper of a fishing boat off the west coast of Ireland and your registered landing place is Dingle and you are suddenly hit by a gale force north western and you hit into Fenit to land, that should not be a problem but it is a huge problem. People have been brought to court on such issues. There is a need for flexibility in its exact meaning and flexibility in its implementation to make sure we are getting to the spirit of what was intended and to recognise the pressures imposed on people.
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