Michael Ring
Question:141 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the extra tonnage, if any, available for fishermen who have boats and wish to upgrade them. [8409/99]
Written Answers. - Fishing Fleet Modernisation.
The overall size of the Irish fishing fleet is constrained in terms of tonnage and engine power by binding requirements under the EU multi-annual guidance programme for the fisheries sector. A person who wishes to introduce a vessel into the Irish fishing fleet or to increase the tonnage or engine power of an existing vessel must, therefore, arrange to acquire equivalent capacity and have it removed from the fishing vessel register.
The EU fourth multi-annual guidance programme allows, however, for proposed increases in fishing vessel capacity to be considered outside of overall fleet limits on a case-by-case basis where such increases result exclusively from safety improvements and do not increase the fishing effort of the vessel concerned. Any proposals of this nature would be subject to rigorous scrutiny by the relevant national authorities and the European Commission and would require the approval of the EU management committee on fishery structures.