Mary Coughlan
Question:47 Miss Coughlan asked the Minister for the Marine the number of new fishing licences issued this year; to whom they were issued and the criteria for their provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Fishing Licences.
I have explained on a number of previous occasions the background to national licensing policy. I would refer the Deputy in particular to the Adjournment Debate on 31 May 1990 and subsequent press release — a copy of which follows. In August of 1989 I imposed a total embargo on the issue of new licences except where prior written commitments had been given.
Policy has evolved since then to the point where licences, other than licences for vessels engaged in aquaculture or bivalve fishing or certain vessels which have been approved by the European Commission, are granted only to those who are able to meet the condition of withdrawing from the current sea fishing boat register tonnage equal to the tonnage of their new vessel. In addition they must be able to satisfy me on the following criteria: (a) that the new vessel is safe and seaworthy; (b) that the skipper/crew will be duly qualified in accordance with relevant legislation; (c) that no decommissioning grant shall have been paid in respect of the new vessel; and (d) proof of ownership.
I must also be satisfied that the economic and social benefits arising from the exploitation of the target species of the boats involved will accrue primarily to the coastal regions and communities which the quotas concerned are designed to benefit. A total of 19 sea fishing boat licences have been issued this year. Six licences have issued based on these criteria. Three further licences were issued to new owners of vessels within the existing fleet upon transfer of ownership of these vessels. The remaining ten licences were issued on foot of written commitments given prior to the coming into effect of the embargo referred to above.
It is long-established policy not to disclose the details of individual applications received or licences granted.
In dealing with this question it is, I feel, essential to remind Deputies of the overall framework within which the future issue of sea-fishing boat licences must be handled.
Firstly, it has to be recognised that there are segments of our fishing fleet where there is clear over-capacity. To allow uncontrolled access into these segments would simply undermine the viability of existing fishermen and add to the already severe pressures on scarce fish stocks. Future licensing policy must, therefore, take cognisance of this situation in the interests of the industry as a whole. As Deputies will be aware, it has already been established policy for some years now only to allow boats enter the pelagic and beamer fleets where equivalent tonnage is being withdrawn.
Second, there are major constraints on capacity arising from European Community fishing fleet policy. That policy is designed to address the problem of the serious over-capacity which exists in the Community as a whole. Recently there was an additional cause for concern arising from the fact that the fishing fleet of East Germany is double the size of the Federal German fleet. Herr Von Geldern, the Federal German Fisheries Minister on a visit to Dublin two weeks ago reassured me that a united Germany would not be making any extra demand on quotas. For this relief, much thanks. All Member States are required to reduce their fleet capacities by 3 per cent below the end 1984 level. This requirement poses very real difficulties for a number of Member States, including Ireland, whose fleets had increased since 1984.
In Ireland's case, the cutback in capacity requires that the fleet be reduced to 43,941 gross registered tonnes by the end of 1991. To date we have achieved the interim target of 57,355 tonnes set for the end of 1989. A substantial further reduction of about 6,000 tonnes is required by the end of 1990 to be followed next year by another of about the same order. I am not happy with these restrictions and will continue to fight to have them revised. However, the same restrictions apply to all Member States. Moreover, there are linkages with other elements of policy and specifically the availability of significant financial assistance for the fishery sector generally.
Countries which fail to reduce the GRT will not receive any financial aid from structural funds to modernise and refurbish their fleet.
It is obvious, therefore, that the scope for allowing new entrants into the fleet is strictly limited. Future decisions and policy guidelines to be applied in the assessment of licence applications must be consistent as far as possible with available unexploited fishing opportunities and be consistent as far as possible with EC parameters.
Against that background future licensing policy must of necessity be highly selective. In that context it is inevitable that in future licences will be issued generally on a replacement basis in the first instance. The rate of replacement will be determined primarily by the types of vessels involved and the species to be fished.
That is the general policy that has been recommended to me by an expert group which I set up last year to advise on this issue.
I have, however, on hands some 240 applications seeking licences for boats which in aggregate would amount to about 18,000 tonnes or the equivalent of about a third of the existing fleet. Clearly only a small fraction of these applications will be successful.
As the House is aware I recently established a special Vetting Committee under the chairmanship of the Secretary of my Department to examine the applications on hand in the light of the general policy guidelines to apply for the future.
I am now advised by that committee that, on the basis of a 100 replacement policy only a handful of licences is allowable. These are to be issued shortly.
It is evident to me, and I am supported in this by scientific advice, that there are unexploited fishing opportunities available particularly in the white fish sector in deep waters which existing boats cannot catch. I am now specifically addressing the question of how best to structure my decisions on licensing policy so as to on the one hand facilitate the catching of these unexploited resources while on the other respecting the wider EC constraints.
I can assure the Deputy that my sole objective in deciding on licences is to safeguard the long term interests of Irish fishermen and of the Irish fishing industry as a whole.