asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry if he is aware of the serious damage being done to the Irish fishing industry by Spanish trawlers re-registered in Ireland who tranship their landings straight to Spain, when the original justification for any Spanish landings into Irish ports was to supply Irish processing plants; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Registration of Spanish Trawlers.
494.
I do not accept that these vessels are causing serious damage to the Irish fishing industry because their catches consist mainly of species of fish not generally landed in quantity by Irish fishing vessels. The vessels were represented to have been acquired to supplement landings to Irish fish processing factories and some of their catches are disposed of in that manner. However, a proportion of the catch consists of species of fish which are normally disposed of and yield a greater return in the fresh state in Spain. It is not the practice to dictate to owners of Irish registered fishing vessels how they dispose of fish catches.
I am concerned, however, about the implications of further Spanish vessels being registered by purely Spanish interests here or in other EEC states, under flags of convenience, in order to gain access to national or Community fishing rights in our waters. I have therefore asked the Government to approve of urgent legislation which will be designed to restrict greatly both the registration of such vessels in Ireland and the operation in Irish waters of such vessels registered in other EEC states.