I brought forward last month new fleet policy proposals for discussion. The discussion document contains a range of proposals in relation to the licensing of sea-fishing boats, including those with pelagic bulk storage capacity in the polyvalent fleet segment.
The two vessels to which the Deputy refers were built recently, despite a clear moratorium being in place since early 2001 on the licensing of such vessels in the polyvalent segment. There could therefore have been no legitimate expectation by the vessel owners of these vessels being licensed in the polyvalent segment of the fleet. In the context of strong representations made for the licensing of additional pelagic bulk storage capacity in the polyvalent segment, I proposed in the discussion document a limited increase in the number of such vessels in the polyvalent segment. The proposed higher replacement capacity requirement of 1:2 was proposed taking account of the advantageous position of any such vessels vis-à-vis the rest of the polyvalent fleet. The current mackerel quota allocations reflect the traditional fishing patterns of the respective fleets.
The tank vessels in the pelagic segment of the fleet, which are allocated the major portion of the mackerel quota, have depended for many years exclusively on pelagic fisheries and continue to do so. In contrast, the polyvalent fleet does not have the same reliance and has traditionally been able to target both whitefish and pelagic stocks. As the current allocations for mackerel were negotiated in October 2001 following very difficult and protracted discussions and involved a substantial transfer of mackerel quota to the polyvalent fleet, I do not consider it constructive to reopen the mackerel allocations discussion at this time.
I am, therefore, considering policy in relation to additional bulk storage capacity in the polyvalent segment on the basis of the current quota allocations. I must be satisfied before taking any decision that allows additional bulk storage tank vessels into the polyvalent segment that such a decision could be justified on the grounds of economic viability and the sustainability of pelagic stocks.
I will examine carefully the views expressed by industry on the new policy proposals and the issues raised before finalising and introducing a new fleet licensing policy which in any way changes the moratorium put in place in 2001. There are widely divergent views within the industry on this specific point.
These two tank boat vessels can always be introduced to the tank boat segment by withdrawing equivalent capacity in that segment.
