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OPPOSITION is rapidly mounting in parts of the UK to the European Commission's fish catch proposals for next year - with some of the biggest fears being expressed by Northern Ireland fishermen.
Following Scottish fears expressed yesterday, the Anglo-Northern Ireland Fish Producers Organisation has warned that the proposals will leave the province's fleet virtually unviable. The level of concern points to another intense battle in Brussels in December when the quotas for next year are finalised.
Irish Sea fishing quotas face some of the biggest cutbacks with a virtual ban on cod fishing for 2012, a 25 per cent reduction in herring catches and a 17 per cent cut in the quota for prawns. The FPO has warned that if these proposals are approved it will have a huge impact on the fleet, saying they do not match the scientific evidence which points to a healthy herring and prawn stock.
Northern Ireland's Fisheries Minister Michelle O'Neill said she was disappointed with what was being recommended by the European Commission, adding that she would be talking to the local fishing industry about their worries as well as working closely with her counterparts on the mainland and in the Republic.
The Northern Ireland DUP MEP Diane Dodds was even stronger in her warning, suggesting that the proposals could spell "the end for some sections of the fishing fleet".
She vowed: "I will be lobbying the Commission to adopt a more common sense approach. It must take into account the fact that stocks are healthy and that our fishing fleet are responsible in their duties to sustainable fishing practices."
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