Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 March 2023
373. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine how he and his Department are ensuring the implementation of Article 17 of the Common Fisheries Policy in this State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12172/23]
View answerIn Ireland, fishing quotas are a public resource and are managed to ensure that property rights are not granted to individual operators. This is seen as a critical policy to ensure that quotas are not concentrated into the hands of large fishing companies whose owners have the financial resources to buy up such rights. It is worth noting that within the EU, a significant number of quota systems have been privatised for their main commercial stocks.
The Irish policy approach helps to support a fishing fleet based around the Irish coastline. This means that the Irish fishing fleet is made up of various sizes and types of fishing vessels who have retained a strong economic link with our coastal communities and have provided vital employment in these communities, where there are limited alternative economic activities. Any movement towards privatisation of fishing rights would seriously risk fishing vessels losing an economic link with Ireland’s coastal communities. This could have devastating consequences and Ministers continually work closely with the fishing industry to ensure this does not happen.
Consultation on the management of quotas within National Policy is carried out each month at the Quota Management Advisory Committee (QMAC) meeting involving fishing industry representatives from the catching and processing sectors, the Department and the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA). The QMAC examines in detail the operation of each fishery, available quota and uptake patterns for the different metiers of fishing vessels. Detailed discussions are held taking account of the situation of the fleet and the market. The recommendations of the QMAC are brought to my attention to inform my decision on the management arrangements within National Policy.
The Committee also has the possibility of recommending additional catch limits to incentivise the introduction of environmentally friendly fishing gear in particular fisheries or for particular types of vessels.
All vessels under 55 feet in length receive the same catch limit which includes small scale coastal fishers licensed to fish for whitefish. The important pelagic stocks of mackerel and herring also have allocations made available, in accordance with Ministerial National policy, supporting smaller vessels. I have recently launched a public consultation on a review of the 2012 Herring Management Policy, in relation to the quantity of herring set aside from the southern North-West herring stock (Herring 6A South) for smaller/ inshore fishing vessels.
