asked the Minister for the Marine the reason he has refused a company (details supplied) a licence to replace MV Dolores D 182.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Replacement of MV Dolores.
3.
As far back as September 1987, I decided to limit entry of additional beam trawlers on to the Irish fleet to tonne for tonne replacement. This was, and remains, necessary because the number of such boats on the Irish register has grown significantly while the quotas available have not. Beam trawlers are geared specifically towards fishing for sole. In 1988, I was forced, in fulfilment of my duty as Minister as the sole quota had been exhausted, to prohibit sole fishing in the Irish Sea and off our south-east coast.
This was to the detriment of smaller, locally based boats because beam trawlers were in a position to travel to other areas. In 1989, a management regime was instituted for beam trawlers in the Irish Sea and south-east coast for sole to prevent such a scenario recurring.
The person referred to approached my Department informally with his proposal to replace MV Dolores and was informed of the policy requirements. He then wrote outlining his plans to replace MV Dolores with a larger boat and was informed that this was not acceptable as the replacement boat was larger and involved greater fishing capacity. The smaller capacity is geared to meeting the sole quota which we have available and we cannot entertain any further applications for these trawlers.
Would the Minister not agree that not alone is tonnage at issue here but capability? As the Minister rightly pointed out, larger boats can go further. The person here had in mind a boat with refrigeration on board which would have added to the capability rather than the capacity. I would add that the MV Dolores which he was replacing was to be sold to an English fishing company which would have taken it out of the tonnage of the Irish fleet. Further, this proposal was self-financing and would not have been a strain on BIM grant funds.
I am sorry to interrupt the Deputy but I still have two more Priority Questions to dispose of within five minutes.
The problem is not capacity but the scarcity of fish. Unfortunately there is more than adequate capacity to catch the sole quota we have at present. Allowing further capacity would damage the people at present involved in the industry.
The proposal would have included filleting operations for larger-type fish.
Could we hear the Minister through?
The application was to replace this vessel with a larger one at a time when we are trying to cut down the capacity and conserve the stocks which are threatened. That is, unfortunately, the situation. If the Deputy wants to discuss it with me I will go into the details of the application with him.