Vol. 511 No. 5
29 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the plans, if any, he has to establish the new inshore fisheries unit as promised in the review of An Action Programme for the Millennium; the proposed role of the unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24742/99]
The sustainable development of inshore fisheries is a priority objective for me. I am pleased that the Government have endorsed this priority in the action programme with our explicit commitment to develop and conserve the resource and to establish an inshore fisheries unit. I have asked my Department to examine the structure and staffing requirements of the proposed unit with a view to making a formal proposal to the Department of Finance at an early date.
I was pleased to launch the first ever report on the Irish inshore fisheries sector last May. The report makes a number of recommendations for the future direction and development of inshore fisheries. These recommendations are being progressed by my Department, BIM and the Marine institute in close consultation with local interests.
Work on progressing many of the recommendations is well under way. l have already announced that I am setting up a national inshore fisheries advisory committee under the chairmanship of Dr. Noel Mulligan of Tralee Institute of Technology to advise on policies and strategies to develop the full sustainable potential of the inshore sector. I am also establishing two pilot schemes on local inshore fishermen's development committees.
