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They warn that if EU Fisheries Ministers this week agree to the restrictions for certain vessels to seven and 15 days per month, they will take action into their own hands.
Fishermen view the cuts as a sting in the tail of the Commission’s concession to the industry on Monday to delay decisions on its ‘cod and hake recovery plan’ until 31 March 2003.
EU Fisheries Commissioner Franz Fischler remained adamant on Tuesday that the Commission will not "violate its principles" and that it was only prepared to reduce its quota cuts for cod from 80% to 65% if days at sea were also reduced at the same time.
But his words galvanised the efforts of fisheries leaders from across Europe to halt what they believe will spell the end of fishing fleets and entire coastal communities in the North and Irish Seas.
Fishing industry representatives from Belgium, Denmark, England, France, Holland, Italy, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and Scotland called an emergency meeting yesterday in Brussels to form their response.
Chairman of the meeting, Pierre Dachicurt, who led last week’s port blockade in Boulogne, urged each national delegation present to maximise pressure on their fisheries ministers not to accept the proposals.
As an initial move, the industry sent a joint letter to each national fisheries minister last night calling for them to oppose the simultaneous use of quota cuts and reductions in fishing days.
The letter says that the proposal "threatens to place our industry in a rigid straight jacket that will endanger safety at sea, disrupt thousands of jobs at sea and on shore, devastate the lives of fishermen and their families, and bring bankruptcy to thousands of fishing vessels."
If the plan is accepted, it "would be an act of criminal irresponsibility," says the industry.
The European Commission and the Danish Presidency will continue bilateral discussions with national fisheries ministers today, with the aim of producing a final compromise proposal by this evening or Thursday morning.
Fishermen, who have convened another emergency meeting this afternoon, are holding fire until the final outcome of this week’s talks is known.
However, leading industry figures have made it clear that they will go ahead with whatever action they feel appropriate to thwart the Commissions plans.
"If the proposal is supported in total or in part by the Council, then the nations represented here should be entitled to such legitimate action as is necessary to save the industry," said Mike Park, chairman of the Scottish White Fish Producers Association.
"Up until now our demonstrations have not done the trick. Nobody is taking any notice so the next move will be more severe," added Bob Casson, an English skipper who sailed one of around 70 vessels protesting on the River Tyne in England last week.
Written by Nicola Smith
Edited by Honor Mahony
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