asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries what plans he has to expand the national fishing fleet to include deep water fishing ships, so that it may be brought up to the standard of other European countries.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - National Fishing Fleet.
55.
Sea fishing in this country has developed on traditional lines based on inshore fishing, but, for a number of years past, the addition to the fleet of larger fishing vessels ranging in size up to 90 feet long and equipped with the most modern electronic and other fishing aids has been encouraged by State grant and loan incentives. With these vessels, it will be feasible not only to fish intensively as hitherto inside our own exclusive fishery limits but also, if necessary, to exploit the fish stocks on the Continental Shelf outside those limits.
If the Deputy's reference to deep water fishing relates to fishing by much larger vessels in distant waters, I should say that there are no plans for immediate expansion in this direction, as the economics of the operation would seem to be relatively unattractive.
Could the Parliamentary Secretary tell the House why the two 110 foot stern trawlers were a failure? Why was that experiment a failure?
Because, as I said, it was not an economic proposition.
Why?
That has been the experience wherever this type of operation has been carried on. It is not an economic proposition anywhere that I know of.
I am sure the Parliamentary Secretary is completely wrong in this. Is it not right to say that the reason why the experiment was a failure was that there was no service here for vessels of this size?
It was not an economic proposition.
There was no service for these vessels and that is the reason why it was not economic.
No.
And no effort was made to provide that service.