Vol. 502 No. 5
12 Mr. Deasy asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the proposals, if any, he has to extend Ireland's exclusive fishery zone and zone for mineral rights; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8612/99]
Ireland has exclusive mineral and hydrocarbon rights over our Continental Shelf as defined under Article 76 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which came into force in November 1994. Ireland ratified this Convention in July 1996. My Department has as one of its functions the delineation of the outer limit of Ireland's Continental Shelf in accordance with Article 76.
The delineation of the outer limit of our Continental Shelf will be done by means of a claim submitted to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf. The claim must be based on scientific data which has had to be collected, processed and interpreted. Our claim could result in an extension of up to 30 per cent of our Continental Shelf. Ireland has ten years from the date of ratification of the convention to submit its claim to the commission. Work has been under way for a number of years and is continuing on the preparation of the submission in support of our case.
I expect that we will be in a position to present our case well within the timescale laid down, thus consolidating Ireland's claim to potential minerals and hydrocarbon extraction from the area.
As regards fishermen, it must be noted that the European Union holds primary competence in fisheries matters and that it is not open to a member state to assign unto itself exclusive fishing rights. The effect of an extension of the Irish fishery zone would not be to exclude EU fishing fleets from the zone, although it could have the effect of excluding non-EU fishermen from the extended area. This, of course, could have implications for bilateral agreements between third countries and the European Union.
Currently, by way of derogation under the common fisheries policy, Irish fishermen have exclusive rights within six miles and there are restrictions on entry by non-Irish fishing vessels between the six and 12 mile limits. The Deputy will be aware of the recent European Parliament Report on the Regionalisation of the Common Fisheries Policy which calls on the Commission to propose that the 12 mile exclusive fishing limit be extended to 24 miles for all member states. The National CFP Strategy Review Group which I have established to inform and assist our negotiating strategy for the 2002 review will be examining the scope for change in relation to the 12 mile limit.
