Roger T. Garland
Question:19 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for the Marine whether he will consider the use of regional fishery board boats to enforce the law concerning the size of boat permitted to fish within the three mile limit.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Sea Fishery Regulations.
(Limerick West): The Deputy is presumably referring to the restrictions that currently apply under national legislation to Irish boats above the specified size fishing within a three mile zone from base lines. While there is no specific law prohibiting vessels of a certain size from fishing within the three mile limit, it is nevertheless the position that as a general guideline vessels of over 90 feet are precluded by the terms of their sea fishing boat licence from fishing within these limits.
These licence conditions are actively enforced although there have been no detentions or prosecutions for breaches of this specific licence condition in the past five years. There are, however, a small number of vessels of over 90 feet which are not precluded from fishing within the three miles. The question of further reducing the number and size of vessels permitted to fish within the three mile limit is kept under regular review by my Department. In general my Department favour encouraging or requiring the bigger and more powerful sector of the fleet, including all large vessels, particularly those over 90 feet, to move further offshore. As the Deputy is no doubt aware, only Irish registered fishing boats are legally entitled to fish within a six mile limit of the Irish coast.
Would the Minister agree that it is well known that the law is being flagrantly abused? The Minister said that not even one single prosecution has been brought in the past five years. That can only indicate one thing, and that is that the law is not being enforced. What steps will be taken to ensure that the law will be properly enforced?
(Limerick West): At present there is no law laying down the various limits outside which boats of various sizes must operate. Instead preclusions of one form or another are built into the general sea fishing boat licence which issues to each vessel. Notwithstanding what the Deputy has said, there are conditions laid down. The conditions can and do vary from licence to licence at the discretion of the Minister but as a general rule vessels between 90 feet and 120 feet registered length are prohibited from fishing within the three mile limit for any species.
That disposes of questions for today. As the business ordered for today has seemingly been disposed of I propose to proceed to the matters on the Adjournment, if the House is so agreeable.