Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 10 Feb 2000

Vol. 514 No. 2

Written Answers. - Fisheries Monitoring.

Michael Finucane

Question:

20 Mr. Finucane asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the discussions, if any, between his Department and the Department of Defence regarding the naval fleet having responsibility for monitoring the fishing fleet outside the 200 mile limit. [3575/00]

Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources (Mr. Fahey)

The Deputy is referring to the new requirement for EU member states to carry out fisheries monitoring in the north east Atlantic. The North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission, promotes the conservation and management of the fisheries resources of those areas of the north east Atlantic which lie outside the jurisdiction of its contracting parties which include the European Union. The NEAFC has adopted a scheme of control and enforcement for vessels of the contracting parties operating in the NEAFC area. These recommendations became binding on contracting parties on 1 July 1999.

The European Union has given legal effect as from January 2000 to the NEAFC control recommendations for EU member states. The EU regulation sets out requirements on matters such as the marking of vessels, the recording and reporting of catches and the trans-shipment of fish. These requirements must be complied with by all EU vessels fishing in NEAFC waters, and EU member states are obliged to carry out surveillance and inspection of fishing vessels fishing in NEAFC waters.

My Department liaises regularly with the Department of Defence, the Naval Service and the Air Corps on fisheries protection, with a view to ensuring effective delivery of fisheries monitoring and control in our zone. Specific discussions on the operational implications of the Council regulation for Ireland have been ongoing for some months. We are also collectively engaged in discussions with the commission on the practical arrangements.

The practical extent of new operational responsibilities for the Naval Service and the Air Corps outside the EU zone is largely dependent on the level of fishing activity by Irish vessels in the north east Atlantic area and on the overall practical arrangements which will be made for monitoring the fishing activities of EU vessels in those waters. A key objective in delivering on Ireland's NEAFC responsibilities will be to ensure we can meet those obligations without detriment to the core business of ensuring effective fisheries protection in our waters and proportionate to available resources.