Vol. 474 No. 6
306 Cecilia Keaveney asked the Minister for the Marine the progress, if any, which can be made to bring forward a single measuring mechanism for fishing vessels throughout Europe to counteract the severe difficulties currently being experienced by fishermen who buy their boats from other countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3795/97]
Council Regulation 3259/94 and Commission Decision 95/84/EC require all fishing vessels over 24 metres to be measured in GT, and specify formulae to estimate GT pending remeasurement. All vessels between 15 metre and 24 metre in length are required to be remeasured by 2004.
Progress on implementing harmonised tonnage measurement throughout the EU has been slow. It is still the case that GT values for fishing vessels are not consistently available, with vessels continuing to be measured in a variety of ways depending on the methodology employed in the member state concerned. Pending harmonisation, prospective purchasers of vessels from abroad should always obtain technical advice from the marine survey office of the Department before entering into commitments.
