My overarching goal for Ireland's fishing industry is for a sustainable, profitable and self reliant industry that protects and enhances the social and economic fabric of rural coastal communities dependent on the seafood sector, while balancing these objectives with the need to deliver a sustainable and eco centred fisheries landscape for future generations.
The proposal by the European Commission for the introduction of a mandatory scheme of Transferable Fishing Concessions (TFCs), otherwise known as individual transferable quotas (ITQs), is to my mind totally at odds with the unique dynamic that is the Irish fishing sector.
This proposal will, I believe, lead to a privatisation of fish quotas and their concentration in the hands of multinational companies with limited or no links to Ireland's coastal communities, resulting in the likely loss of the economic benefit and ultimately jobs which flow from Irish fish quotas being treated as a public good and allocated to Irish fishing vessels.
This is not only an economic argument, the unique social and cultural fabric of our coastal communities would be devastated if the link between the fleet and the ports and processors was broken.
I have forcibly voiced my opinion at EU Fisheries Councils and indeed privately in bilaterals with fellow Ministers and indeed Commissioner Damanaki herself. I have been heartened by the support I have received from other like minded Member States but recognise that it will be an uphill battle to get the mandatory nature of the TFCs removed from the CFP reform proposals.
In partnership with the Irish industry, I am taking every opportunity to lobby and influence the key decision makers at European level and have made a strong case when I met key members of the Fisheries Committee of the European Parliament at the beginning of the month.
The negotiations on the CFP reform are ongoing, indeed they are on the agenda at next weeks Council of Fisheries Ministers on 19 March. I will continue to defend Ireland's right to determine how our quotas will be allocated in the best interests of our fleet, processing sector and the communities dependent on them for their very survival.