Vol. 422 No. 1
45 Mr. G. O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Marine if he intends to make extra funds available to BIM in order to develop research into obtaining new species of fish or to explore new fishing grounds, taking into consideration the demand that is there at present for the popular species such as sole and hake; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Research into fish stocks including exploratory fishing for new species and into new fishing grounds is carried out by BIM, the Fisheries Research Centre of the Department of the Marine and, of course, by the fishing industry itself.
The total allocation for exploratory fishing in 1992 for BIM is £235,000. The provision in 1992 in the Department's research budget for the operational costs of exploratory fishing vessels comes to £561,000. There are no proposals to increase these amounts in the current year, but requirements for 1993 will fall for review in the setting of expenditure estimates for 1993.
Community funding may also be available from time to time to support exploratory ventures.
Eight Community assisted projects have already been carried out successfully, providing important information on non-quota pelagic and demersal species such as blue whiting, argentine, ling and tusk, as well as some more exotic species, at least in an Irish context, such as tuna and swordfish.
