Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 April 2023
81. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine how the current system of allocating the Irish public quota of fish species such as mackerel, herring and spurdog to the Irish fishing fleet is compliant with the principles of Article 17 of the Common Fisheries Policy; and if he will outline his future plans in this regard. [18343/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraI ask the Minister to meet his responsibilities under Article 17 of the Common Fisheries Policy, CFP. There are representations to the Minister from the National Inshore Fishermen's Association, the Irish Islands Marine Resource Organisation and environmental organisations asking him to examine how quotas, which are a public resource in Ireland, are allocated and how he is going to pull all of the organisations together to discuss and negotiate this issue.
I strongly support the inshore sector. It is important and needs support, which is why I announced yesterday a new scheme that will deliver between €2,700 and €4,000 to all inshore boats this year to help to underpin income and to reflect how the Government values the sector and wants to support it in terms of income and some of the challenges it is experiencing.
Regarding the Deputy's question around quotas, fishing quotas are a public resource in this country and are managed to ensure property rights are not granted to individual operators and they remain a national resource. When a quota allocation is not fished by an individual operator, it is returned to the State for redistribution to the fleet. This is important to ensure that quotas are not concentrated in the hands of large fishing companies whose owners have the financial means to buy up such rights, which would happen in that circumstance. This approach helps to support a fishing fleet based around our coastline and a fleet made up of various sizes and types of fishing vessels. Any movement towards privatisation of fishing rights would seriously risk fishing vessels, losing an economic link with our coastal communities. I work closely with the fishing industry to ensure that does not happen.
At national level, stakeholders play an important role in fish quota management through the quota management advisory committee, which is a consultative committee that meets monthly. It involves my Department and, importantly, all fishing industry representatives from the catching, inshore and processing sectors. The purpose of the committee is to make recommendations to me for particular stocks. I follow these recommendations for regimes for those stocks, subject to the proper management and rational exploitation of our fisheries in line with national policy. The committee examines the operation of each fishery's uptake patterns and available quota for the different groups of fishing vessels. Discussions on any allocations take into account the divergent situation of the fleet and the market and any weather conditions upcoming that could impact vessels.
I have two points. The inshore sector has been denied access to traditional salmon fisheries for quite a while and has been asked to make a living almost entirely from crab and lobster fisheries. It has been struggling. There is talk that a quota may be introduced around the area of crab. I am aware that studies by the Marine Institute are ongoing. The inshore sector needs a reasonable share of the likes of mackerel, herring and spurdog. I am also conscious that the pelagic industry in Ireland suffered a serious hit from Brexit. I ask the Minister to do two things: first, to renew his commitment to working with the industry to fight for our fair share of fish in our waters and, second, to make sure all our fishermen get an equal and fair opportunity to access those fish when they are secured.
I am doing that and will do that. I will always redouble efforts in that regard because fish and the volume of fish are the most important resources for the sustainability of our fishing sector and the families who depend on it. At European level, I always fight and take every possible opportunity to try to increase and improve our position regarding quotas. Most recently for blue whiting, a pelagic species, we got a good outcome along with an improved outcome concerning the allocation of blue whiting nationally and further restricting the access arrangements for outside, non-EU countries, particularly Norway, to the north-west region and the Irish conservation box. There was also a good outcome at the recent Council meeting in December for spurdog. For the first time in many years, there is now a spurdog fishery, which is important for the inshore sector. To try to get a result on that was probably the number one thing asked of me over the last few years and it is something we hope to build on. After many years of conservation measures for the north-west herring stock, there is now a quota for that as well. Inside the sector, everybody has a different view and everybody wants a bigger slice of the cake. I work with the sector to try to be as fair as possible and consult as closely as possible in making decisions.
The Minister may be surprised to hear that I welcome the change in approach on the part of some of his Department officials and his efforts to work with the industry around the blue whiting issue. The industry united and put in a tremendous effort. It was constantly out in Europe making the case for more fish and for fairness. I went to some of those meetings; it is asking for fairness. That is it. It is asking for the principles of the CFP to be respected. I ask the Minister to continue to fight with the industry as a united industry and to make sure he strikes a fair balance between the asks of the inshore sector and those of the larger fleet. It is about pulling them together and having a straight conversation around all of those issues. Right now, the allocation of mackerel and herring - we will see what happens with spurdog - to the inshore sector is not enough and it is not fair. One cannot stand over it. It is a public resource and the Minister has a responsibility to ensure he chairs and referees discussions and makes sure that what happens and what is left over is fair. If he wants to unite the industry, as we all do, the best way to do that is to be fair to everybody in the industry.
There has not been a change of approach from me. I have been consistent from the start in relation to working closely with all fishery representatives to try to get the best outcome possible at European level. No doubt, the last effort was a strong one and everyone worked closely together but we also did that previously. For blue whiting, for example, before I became Minister, the normal transfer rate and the previous year's transfer rate to Norway was 9% of the EU blue whiting quota. Three years ago, in my first negotiation, I got that down to 4% and I have held it at 4% every year since, including this year. There has also been additional improvement in access arrangements. Working with industry has been important in that regard. All of us pushing the same boat is the way to go and achieves the best results possible.
On the north-west herring fishery, I recently launched a consultation to investigate reviewing it, particularly with the inshore sector. It is out for consultation at the moment. With spurdog and mackerel, it is about trying to be as fair as possible, which is my objective, and I know it is the Deputy's objective too.
