asked the Minister for the Marine the criteria for regulating scallop fishing; the value of scallop sales; if there is a close season; the fishing limit; if beam trawlers can fish scallops within the 12-mile limit; if there are departmental inspections or checking; and if so, how often.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Scallop Fishing.
10.
Scallops are subject to a minimum landing size of 100 millimetres. There is no national close season but local close seasons apply in some areas of Kerry, Galway and Donegal. Skin-diving for scallops is also prohibited. The landed value of scallops in 1986 was £626,000.
There are no restrictions on areas where scallops may be fished but beam trawlers exceeding 24 metres in overall length with engine power greater than 221 kilowatts are prohibited from fishing scallops within 12 nautical miles of baselines under EC Regulation 3094/86. The use of beam trawlers with an aggregate beam length of greater than eight metres is also prohibited in this area.
My Department's sea fishery officers and regional fisheries boards' protection staff carry out routine inspections on a regular basis to ensure compliance with the regulations relating to the size limit and close seasons. The Naval Service as part of its patrols monitors compliance with the EC regulation on beam trawlers.
How do our regulations or lack of them compare with other countries in Europe? Is the Minister aware that beam trawlers that accord with the description the Minister has just given are fishing scallops within the 12-mile limit off our coasts and that inspections, such as they are, do not appear to have the necessary detrimental effect? Would it be possible to ensure that more vigilance is operated in this area?
The Deputy will appreciate that this is impossible to eliminate, but it is our intention to ensure that boats outside the specifications referred to in my reply are not allowed to do this. If the Deputy knows of certain vessels and wishes to give me the information privately I will pursue them. I have no doubt that the naval authorities and the fishery officers responsible are not turning a blind eye to this. We do not condone this and we will pursue these people as vigorously as possible. These are renewable resources and we must ensure that all adhere to the general regulations and the local by-laws in the three relevant areas.
What about other countries and the fact that we have no close season? Is this ideal for such an important renewable resource? Or have we such a plentiful supply of scallops that we can fish regardless of their amount, or at any time of the year?
From the scientific evidence available to us it is considered that the legislation obtaining is adequate but this legislation must be reviewed from time to time. We must take cognisance of the scientific evidence which is and will continue to be available to us. If there are changing circumstances then we shall have to examine the question of the close season vis-á-vis other countries.
Was it from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas that the Minister received the scientific evidence to which he refers, or what was the relevant source?
The Deputy may not be aware that we liaise very closely with ICES. I might add that our people in Abbotstown are extremely highly thought of by ICES. Many of the reports compiled by them are taken very seriously by ICES, so it is a combination.
We have reports specifically on scallops.
Question No. 11 has been disposed of.