I expect to receive the report of the sea-fishing boat policy licensing group by 30 June 2003. The review group can make interim recommendations at any stage on issues requiring urgent decisions.
The review group has made two conservation-related interim recommendations, which I have accepted. These are: first, that polyvalent boats not precluded from fishing for herring and/or mackerel but which did not fish for those species in 2002 or 2003 will not break the active pelagic requirement of fishing for either of those species for 16 weeks in each of four successive years; and, second, that polyvalent boat owners also have the option to have 2002 and 2003 included for the purposes of active pelagic track record, subject to their having fished for at least a minimum period of eight weeks in each of those years.
This is the first comprehensive review of licensing policy for more than a decade and there are many complex issues to be considered before substantive recommendations can be made for a reasonable number of years ahead.
Clarification is awaited in relation to decisions on the EU Common Fisheries Policy last month affecting some key issues which the review group has to address, notably regarding the permitted overall size, composition and capacity of the Irish sea-fishing boat fleet.