Don Lydon (Fianna Fail)

I welcome this necessary Bill. Fishing is an important part of the economy but for many years it has not received the same attention from Government that was afforded to other sectors. This harks back to the time of the negotiations with Europe when our catches were calculated on the basis of historical catch. We seem never to have seen the light of day since.

Much discussion has centred on the fact that if we do not pass the Bill in its present form, Ireland may be faced with multi-million euro penalties. Some members of the fishing industry have dismissed this premise. Today, however, we discover France has been ordered by the European Commission to pay a penalty of €57 million for failing to comply with a ruling to upgrade its fisheries control system. We must upgrade our laws and keep them in tune with developments.

There is no doubt some fishermen have been guilty of overfishing. However, the majority of fishermen I have known over the years are decent, honourable people who work hard and obey the law.

The Minister has the experience of advice from experts but the only experience I have is growing up in a fishing town, Killybegs, which used to be called Ireland's premier fishing port. Sadly, due to over-regulation of all kinds, it is no longer the town it used to be. Many people have been laid off from the fishing industry. People outside the industry think a boat goes out, catches fish and that is the end of it but it is not. There are spin-off industries, including fishing processing, fishmeal and so on. Catching the fish is only part of what is involved; it is a large industry. All of south west Donegal from where I come depends on the fishing industry. There have been many job lay-offs in the county, north and south. If the fishing industry goes, we will be completely finished. That is a fact.

There are so many rules and regulations governing fishermen that it has become almost impossible for them to operate. I refer to rules of landing at night. Does one think for one moment that a boat laden with fish off the Faroe Islands or elsewhere can steam into Killybegs and arrive at a particular time? That is not the way life at sea works. I invite the Minister and others to go aboard a trawler and go out to sea to see just what it is like.

Despite what Senator Mansergh said, I believe there are some in the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources who seem to more interested in oppressing the fishing industry rather than promoting or fostering it. Most people have no idea of the difficulties of fishing life. There is always danger when a fisherman puts to sea. Tragedy can occur even in calm weather but in heavy weather, the danger becomes very real. Fishermen are not like farmers, teachers or accountants; they do not have soft jobs. They are more like soldiers or firemen who put their lives on the line over and over again. When they go out, or are caught in heavy weather, life becomes difficult. I have known many people over the years who have sailed out from Killybegs on a calm day never to sail back again because they were lost at sea.

There are two issues, and perhaps they were settled during the debate in the Dáil. If not, we can deal with them. It should be possible for a system of graded sanctions to be put in place. The punishment should fit the crime. Such a system appears to exist in the UK and in other countries of the European Union and I cannot understand why we cannot implement one here. Does the Minister really believe that an automatic consequence of a conviction in the Circuit Court should be the confiscation of gear? That is a heavy penalty for a fisherman to pay. I am not sure if that has been modified but if it has not been, there is no doubt it should be.

Fishermen face other difficulties as well. Large foreign vessels fish in our waters, some of which supply the Japanese market. They cast the smaller species of fish overboard which is a terrible waste. The Government seems unable to do anything about this. Do we have any control over foreign vessels fishing in our waters? Senator Norris mentioned huge landings of fish in various places.

Another difficulty fishermen face is that for many weeks during the winter time or when there is bad weather, boats lie tied up in the harbour. When the weather improves, they go out but at that stage they must work around the clock to try to catch up. It is not like a five day per week job — fishing does not work like that. These people work hard and they face enough regulations to keep them going for a month of Sundays.

The Bill is necessary and I believe it is generally welcomed by the fishing industry. It does not matter what area of life one is in, one cannot break the law. If we continue to overfish, as has been done all over Europe, stocks will become depleted and there will be nothing left for future generations and we cannot allow that to happen. I welcome the fact the Minister is prepared to meet members of the fishing industry once the Bill is enacted to discuss ways in which the industry can develop into the future, which is important.

This Bill is not the be-all and end-all; it is a start. It has been modified slightly since it was published and will perhaps be slightly modified further. It will provide a blueprint for the future. If the Minister meets the members of the industry, he can, in many ways, help to develop it. If we over-regulate this industry out of existence, we in Donegal — I do not know much about Waterford, Wexford or elsewhere — we will end up with no jobs. That is an important issue.