Michael Bell
Question:4 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources if he will implement the recommendations made by the Irish national strategy review group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26918/00]
Ceisteanna–Questions. Priority Questions. - Fishing Industry Development.
I am pleased to advise the House that the National Strategy Review Group on the Common Fisheries Policy, chaired by Padraic White, presented a comprehensive report to me which was published earlier this month. The report will inform our negotiating strategy on a range of priority issues from now up to the actual CFP review in 2002. We have also put the report into the EU domain with the strategic objective of influencing directions in the Commission's Green Paper on CFP reform which will be published early next year.
The review group, which is widely representative of the industry, had already published a number of excellent interim reports. These reports dealt with national investment priorities for the seafood sector, technical conservation measures, control and enforcement, regionalisation of the common fisheries policy and fisheries management and the marine environment. I fully endorse the analysis and proposals in the series of interim reports and final report.
The group's work has been characterised by a highly proactive, open and consultative approach backed up by solid research. It also represents to a striking degree a new and welcome consensus among fishermen on the way forward. The report contains comprehensive analysis and proposals on a range of strategic issues which must be systematically tackled. The key challenges identified by the strategy group are radical new approaches to conservation, fleet management and fisheries enforcement; recognition of the socio-economic dimension of the CFP; greater involvement of fishermen in the decision-making process through decentralised and regionalised structures; and an enhanced role for coastal member states and recognition of the importance of inshore fisheries through the extension of the 12 mile limit.
I am working to ensure the strategy group's findings are reflected in the Commission's Green Paper and that the Irish contribution to EU thinking on future directions for the CFP will be positive and far reaching.
I join the Minister in welcoming the report and congratulate the review group.
Will the Minister agree that the extension of the coastal limit to 24 miles is the most important recommendation in the report? Has he had discussions at EU level as to why this cannot be done successfully?
I agree that an extension of the coastal limit to 24 miles would be desirable. However, the Deputy will be aware of the long and difficult negotiations in the past which yielded a 12 mile limit and no more. While I welcome the proposal in the report and will fight hard to have it implemented at EU level as part of the review, we should be in no doubt that such an extension will be difficult to achieve.
I have raised the issue with Commissioner Fischler and his officials and lobbied some member states to try to achieve that result. The European Parliament passed a motion to that effect some time ago and this has been helpful. I will fight the case for the extension and many other recommendations in the report so that there is fundamental reform of the common fisheries policy.