Vol. 458 No. 7
4 Mr. Browne (Wexford) asked the Minister for the Marine the steps, if any, he has put in place to deal with the controlling and monitoring of the Spanish fishing fleet when they are allowed to fish in the Irish Box from 1 January 1996. [17471/95]
23 Mr. M. Ahern asked the Minister for the Marine the steps, if any, he will take to defer the introduction of additional Spanish vessels until such time as control surveillance and other measures are reinforced as promised at the 1994 Council meeting. [17544/95]
40 Ms Keogh asked the Minister for the Marine if he will give details of proposed fishery patrols to be undertaken after 1 January 1996, following the access of Spanish trawlers inside the Irish 50 mile box; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17542/95]
42 Mr. M. Brennan asked the Minister for the Marine the steps, if any, taken to improve surveillance on Irish seas following the EU support of £12 million. [17543/95]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 4, 23, 40 and 42 together.
I will address the understandable concerns expressed by Deputies, first by outlining the terms of the Council Agreement of December 1994 on Iberian integration into the Common Fisheries Policy. Second, I will outline the implementation arrangements which have been subsequently negotiated over the past 12 months and which lay down the ground rules for fishing in our waters from next year as well as giving concrete expression to EU support for Ireland's heavy surveillance costs in monitoring and enforcing the new regime.
The terms of the Agreement reached in December 1994, and particularly in relation to the Irish Box, addressed most of our key concerns about access as well as our demands for effective control and reporting systems. The main elements of the Agreement can be summarised as follows: the total number of Spanish vessels allowed to fish for certain species in Irish waters will continue to be limited to 93 and there must be no increase in total fishing effort; continued recognition of the Irish Box as a sensitive zone; of the 93 vessels, a maximum of 40 named Spanish vessels only will be permitted to fish inside the Irish Box from next year; prior notification by all large fishing vessels on entering and leaving Irish waters and the Irish Box with effect from 1 January 1996; catch reporting on entry and exit with effect from 1 January 1998 at the latest; additional financial support for surveillance costs, with particular recognition of Ireland's heavy surveillance commitments.
There will, therefore, be no additional fishing by foreign boats in Irish waters and no increase in the total number of Spanish boats beyond their existing level. The extent to which named Spanish boats will have access within the Irish Box is very strictly laid down. The entry-exit reporting system will ensure furthermore that our air and sea fisheries protection services will be able to closely monitor activity and target movements in and out of Irish fishing zones. It should provide a very full picture of which boats are operating where in Irish fishing grounds at any given time. In other words, it will be considerably more difficult for boats of any nationality to engage in illegal fishing in our waters. The reporting system will back up, in a major way, our aerial and sea going surveillance capability. An additional deterrent is the tough regime of Irish penalties for fishery offences. These are the highest in Europe and reflect our determination to ensure that all vessels fishing in Irish waters comply with the rules.
The detailed ground rules for the additional reporting, monitoring and control systems from next year were agreed at the Fisheries Council last month. The Council also agreed the overall envelope and terms of a new five year financial aid package for fisheries surveillance to back up and enforce those systems. In recognition of our very heavy surveillance costs, I secured the Council's agreement to a unique budgetline for Ireland of over £12 million over five years to meet the running costs of fisheries surveillance. We will also benefit, with a higher rate of EU aid than other member states, under the overall package for capital investment. These costs have to be incurred in any event by virtue of our EU responsibilities and to protect Irish fish stocks. It was all the more improtant, therefore, to ensure that maximum EU financial support for these additional resources is available and is availed of.
Negotiations on the package of specific spending proposals for 1996 and future years will now get under way with the Commission and I will put proposals in this regard to Government shortly. Essentially my objective is to secure, at minimum cost, the level of capital and operational resources identified as necessary to maximise our sea and landbased fisheries surveillance programmes and that these resources are applied efficiently and effectively to the considerable challenge ahead. I would not minimise the challenge involved in ensuring the conservation and protection of the Irish fisheries resource. The framework and the safeguards are there and I am committed to delivering on implementation of the new control and monitoring regime in the interests of our fisheries and of the fishing industry.
(Wexford): As Spanish fishermen are a difficult breed to deal with, our fishermen are concerned about what will happen when the Spanish fishing fleet is allowed to fish in the Irish Box as and from 1 January next. Will the Minister outline the steps being taken to improve controls and surveillance in terms of the provision of new boats, additional personnel and extra patrols to deal with possible breaches of the regulations by Spanish fishermen?
Under EU regulations only 40 Spanish boats will be allowed to fish in the Irish Box at any given time. These will have to be named and will be confined to the south and north-west boxes.
In preparation for these changes a number of steps have been taken, including the purchase of CASA aircraft which are now in operation. These are a great asset in providing backup for the Naval Service. If Opposition spokespersons would like to see these aircraft for themselves to assess their capability, I would be only too pleased to make the necessary arrangements. The radar system used is very effective in pinpointing the location of fishing boats for the Naval Service. I have also established a liaison committee comprising representatives of the Departments of the Marine and Defence at senior management level to ensure full use is made of available resources.
The additional aid to be provided under the new EU package, the negotiation of which was only completed at the October Council meeting, will also be of considerable assistance to us. A total of £12 million is to be made available over a five-year period towards operational costs. This will be of help, perhaps, in making further improvements in the area of technology to track down boats fishing illegally.
The capital moneys to be made available will enable us to build a new ship. The type of ship to be built will be the subject of discussions. It is not the number of ships that is important, however, but the number of boardings to ensure that vessels are fishing in accordance with the rules and that there are no secret holds.
All these measures are or will be in place shortly. I can give assurance that the regulations will be strictly enforced.
While Ireland controls 16 per cent of EU waters it accounts for only 5 per cent of the total allowable catch. The Minister mentioned that only 40 Spanish boats will be allowed to fish in the Irish Box. Is it not the case, however, that as the majority of Irish boats, with the exception of those which fish for tuna, fish within 50 miles of the shoreline there will be greater competition within these waters and an increased demand for greater control and surveillance? The Minister and his officials should not make light of the problems that will be faced when the Spanish fishing fleet is allowed to fish in the Irish Box next year.
It is the case that Ireland controls 16 per cent of EU waters and accounts for only 5 per cent of the total allowable catch, but this has been the position since 1972 when we joined the EU. Basically, we sold our fishing rights and have not recovered since. As this is a valuable asset, the Government has and will continue to battle to secure a greater share under the Common Fisheries Policy. Our percentage should not be based on historical figures but on the resources available within our waters. We have to live with the decision negotiated at that time.
There is a real danger that, if we continue to over-fish our waters by catching young and small fish, we will eventually drain the bucket dry. For this reason we have tabled conservation proposals with the EU Commission—we were the first to do so — to secure agreement on mesh and fish sizes to protect available resources. Spanish boats will not be allowed to fish in the Irish Sea, they will be confined to the western waters. As and from 1 January next this will be part of the Common Fisheries Policy. In the circumstances we did our utmost to secure the best possible deal.
I would be much happier if our quota was higher and if the conservation proposals we put forward were accepted at European level. The fishermen's organisations are fully behind us in our efforts to have these proposals implemented as they are realists.
It is not strictly true that most Irish boats fish within 50 miles of the shoreline. The boats which operate out of Killybegs in the north west, which in the main fish for mackerel and herring, go way beyond 50 miles. Those who fish for white fish mainly fish within 50 miles of the shoreline. The only way we can improve matters for the Irish fishing industry is by securing agreement on conservation proposals, implementing the measures on surveillance which have been agreed by making the necessary resources available and ensuring that every boat fishing in the Irish Box or within 200 miles of the west coast adheres to the rules. We are determined to enforce the regulations rigorously because it is in our best interest.
(Wexford): Will the Minister confirm that even after 1 January 1996 if Spanish boats are apprehended by the Navy, the skipper and fishermen on the boat will not have to declare what is on board because this declaration will not come in until after 1998? Irish fishermen are concerned that over the next two years they will be able to have what they like on board, including unspecified fish, etc., and that the Navy will have no powers to ascertain what they have?
There is a difference between catch reporting on entry and exit, which will come into place on 1 January, and exceeding quotas that have been allocated. It is wrong to say that people can take what they like. They may only take what they are entitled to under the quotas allocated to them. After 1 January 1998 there will be an obligation on vessels to report to the home country what they have taken coming in and going out. That is what we are talking about. I would not like it to be understood that there is no control as regards the quantities which may be taken from our seas. They are subject to quotas.
