The level of fishing opportunity available to the fishing fleet year on year is determined by overall decisions on total allowable catches taken by the EU Fisheries Council every December. The resulting national quota for each fish stock is monitored and managed during the year and, where necessary, specific management regimes are put in place in consultation with the industry. The purpose of these management regimes is to ensure the best possible spread in terms of take up of quota during the year, having regard to fishing patterns and market conditions. The key objective is to avoid early closure of fisheries through premature exhaustion of quota. By imposing monthly or two monthly limits on the amount of a particular stock which may be fished by an individual vessel, a more equitable spread of quota is achieved among fishermen and throughout the year.
As the Deputy is aware, many key whitefish stocks are seriously overfished and a number of stocks are in crisis. The massive reductions proposed by the Commission for whitefish stocks, including cod, haddock, whiting and hake, were moderated in negotiation at the December Fisheries Council in favour of a more phased approach linked to stock recovery programmes for cod and hake.
In the interests of best management of the reduced national quotas for monk, hake, plaice, cod and whiting in 2001, regimes are in operation which limit landed catches per vessel on a monthly or two monthly basis. While the haddock fishery in the specific Rockall area has been closed from 1 May, all other haddock fisheries remain fully open and the need for management regimes will be kept under review. Whiting fisheries which had been fully open are subject to a management regime with effect from 1 May. The monk and hake fisheries have been under a management regime since January, reflecting the significant reduction in quota as a result of the worrying state of stocks.
Negotiations at EU level to settle the details of the stock recovery programmes for cod and hake are being finalised. The industry has been fully involved in these difficult negotiations and we have worked with the industry to ensure effective conservation measures to protect juvenile and spawning stocks are put in place across the board without jeopardising the interests of Irish fishermen.