Fishing Industry Development.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 15 June 2006

Thursday, 15 June 2006

Questions (21, 22, 23, 24)

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

21 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he will make a statement on the sea fisheries output including the tonnage and the main species caught for each of the years 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002 and 2001 for harbours (details supplied). [23196/06]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources (Mr. Browne)

The information sought by the Deputy is being compiled and will be transmitted directly to him at an early date.

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

22 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the percentage of the European catch Ireland’s TACs for demersal, pelagic and shellfish represent from 2001 to 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23197/06]

Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources (Mr. Browne)

Details of the EU Total Allowable Catch (TAC) and Ireland's quota as a % of this TAC for the years 2001-2005 are provided in the following table.

		2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
Common Name	Area	EC TAC	IRL Quota	IRL % of TAC	EC TAC	IRL Quota	IRL % of TAC	EC TAC	IRL Quota	IRL % of TAC	EC TAC	IRL Quota	IRL % of TAC	EC TAC	IRL Quota	IRL % of TAC
				%			%			%			%			%
Anglerfish	Vb (1), VI, XII, XIV	8,000	800	10	4,770	477	10	3,180	318	10	3,180	318	10	4,686	469	10
Anglerfish	VII	23,000	1,740	8	18,600	1,410	8	15,810	1,198	8	20,902	1,584	8	25,082	1,901	8
Blue whiting	Vb (1), VI, VII, XII, XIV	163,000	26,080	16	107,281	17,165	16	433,000	17,165	4	209,653	62,174	30	474,333	75,893	16
Cod	I, II	16,150	242	1	16,355	245	1	16,353	245	1	19,800	293	1	19,499	292	1
Cod	Vb (1), VI, XII, XIV	3,700	833	23	4,600	1,035	23	1,808	407	23	848	191	23	721	162	22
Cod	VIIa	2,100	1,385	66	3,200	2,017	63	1,950	1,284	66	2,150	1,416	66	2,150	1,416	66
Cod	VIIb-k, VIII, IX, X	10,500	1,070	10	8,700	977	11	6,700	875	13	5,700	824	14	6,200	849	14
Haddock	Vb (1), VI, XII, XIV	19,000	1,730	9	14,100	1,535	11
Haddock	VIa,							7,973	1,214	15	6,503	1,010	16	7,600	598	8
Haddock	Vib							702	107	15	702	55	8	702	55	8
Haddock	VII, VIII, IX, X	13,200	2,930	22	9,300	2,067	22	8,185	1,819	22	9,600	2,133	22	11,520	2,560	22
Hake	Vb (1), VI, VII, XII, XIV	23,600	1,300	6	15,118	834	6	16,823	1,114	7	21,926	1,209	6	23,888	1,318	6
Herring	I, II	73,840	6,670	9	73,840	6,670	9	48,493	4,377	9	72,804	6,458	9	89,537	7,942	9
Herring	Vb (1), VIaN, VIb	35,700	5,390	15	35,700	5,393	15	29,340	4,432	15	29,340	4,432	15	29,440	4,447	15
Herring	VIaS, VIIbc	13,900	12,640	91	14,000	12,727	91	14,000	12,727	91	14,000	12,727	91	14,000	12,727	91
Herring	VIIa	6,900	1,800	26	4,800	1,250	26	4,800	1,250	26	4,800	1,250	26	4,800	1,250	26
Herring	VIIghjk	20,000	17,290	86	8,000	6,914	86	13,000	11,235	86	13,000	11,235	86	13,000	11,236	86
Horse mackerel	IIa (1), North Sea (1)	49,400	1,950	4	49,400	1,950	4	41,667	1,641	4	46,788	1,846	4	40,616	1,599	4
Horse mackerel	Vb (1), VI, VII, VIII, XII, XIV	233,000	55,010	24	143,000	33,763	24	130,000	30,693	24	131,879	31,137	24	133,223	31,454	24
Mackerel	II, Vb (1), VI, VII, VIII, XII, XIV	329,410	70,270	21	345,012	73,597	21	317,869	67,807	21	296,349	63,216	21	217,477	46,149	21
Megrims	Vb (1), VI, XII, XIV	4,840	630	13	4,360	565	13	4,360	565	13	3,600	466	13	2,880	373	13
Megrims	VII	17,920	2,970	17	13,350	2,210	17	14,336	2,373	17	18,099	2,996	17	19,263	3,189	17

		2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
Common Name	Area	EC TAC	IRL Quota	IRL % of TAC	EC TAC	IRL Quota	IRL % of TAC	EC TAC	IRL Quota	IRL % of TAC	EC TAC	IRL Quota	IRL % of TAC	EC TAC	IRL Quota	IRL % of TAC
				%			%			%			%			%
Norway lobster	Vb (1), VI	12,600	170	1	11,340	153	1	11,340	153	1	11,300	153	1	12,700	172	1
Norway lobster	VII	21,000	7,750	37	17,790	6,561	37	17,790	6,561	37	17,450	6,436	37	19,544	7,207	37
Plaice	Vb (1), VI, XII, XIV	2,400	880	37	1,728	630	36	1,534	559	36	1,227	447	36	982	358	36
Plaice	VIIa	2,400	1,365	57	2,400	1,364	57	1,675	1,173	70	1,340	876	65	1,608	1,051	65
Plaice	VIIbc	300	240	80	180	144	80	160	128	80	160	144	90	160	128	80
Plaice	VIIfg	800	80	10	680	209	31	660	46	7	560	39	7	476	202	42
Plaice	VIIhjk	1,350	590	44	970	424	44	582	255	44	466	203	44	466	204	44
Pollack	Vb (1), VI, XII, XIV	1,100	150	14	1,100	155	14	880	124	14	704	99	14	563	79	14
Pollack	VII	17,000	1,300	8	17,000	1,298	8	17,000	1,298	8	17,000	1,298	8	17,000	1,298	8
Saithe	Vb (1), VI, XII, XIV	7,000	395	6	14,000	425	3	17,119	415	2	19,713	478	2	15,044	494	3
Saithe	VII, VIII, IX, X	6,500	1,960	30	8,710	2,450	28	8,710	2,450	28	6,968	1,960	28	5,574	1,568	28
Sole	Vb (1), VI, XII, XIV	155	125	81	125	100	80	106	85	80	85	68	80	68	54	79
Sole	VIIa	1,080	130	12	1,100	134	12	1,010	123	12	800	98	12	960	117	12
Sole	VIIbc	100	85	85	80	65	81	80	65	81	65	55	85	65	55	85
Sole	VIIfg	1,160	35	3	1,070	33	3	1,240	39	3	1,050	33	3	1,000	31	3
Sole	VIIhjk	720	325	45	650	293	45	390	176	45	390	176	45	650	293	45
Whiting	Vb (1), VI, XII, XIV	4,300	1,250	29	3,500	1,029	29	2,000	582	29	1,600	466	29	1,600	478	30
Whiting	VIIa	2,640	1,525	58	1,000	576	58	500	288	58	514	296	58	514	296	58
Whiting	VIIb-k	22,500	6,260	28	31,700	8,814	28	31,700	8,814	28	27,000	7,507	28	21,600	6,006	28

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

23 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the number of people who are employed in the seafood processing industry for the years 2001 to 2005; the value of seafood exports for each of the years 2001 to 2005; the percentage increase or decrease in the seafood processing industry between 2001 and 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23198/06]

Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources (Mr. Browne)

The number of people employed in the seafood processing industry for the years 2000 and 2005 are set out in table 1. Employment figures are not available for the intervening years. The value of seafood exports for the years 2001 to 2005 inclusive are set out in table 2. There has been an 9% decrease in the number of processing companies between 2001 and 2005 while employment in the processing industry decreased by 20% during this period.

Table 1

Employment — Seafood Processing Industry
Sector	2000	2005
Processing	4,207	3,507

Table 2

Irish Seafood Exports
	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005
(€ Million)	433.4	428	381.3	380.7	354

Thomas P. Broughan

Question:

24 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the information he has received from the sea fisheries sector on the impact of rising fuel prices during the past two years; and the steps he will take to alleviate this problem for the fishing industry. [23199/06]

Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources (Mr. Browne)

The issue of rising fuel prices has been raised by the fishing industry on numerous occasions over the past two years, including at the meeting with EU Commissioner Borg last November and at the meeting with Minister Dempsey and myself on 8 May. It has also been discussed at Council level on a number of occasions, most recently in April 2006 when the Council discussed a Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on improving the economic situation in the fishing industry. This Communication considered both short and longer term options to improve the economic situation of the fishing fleet, including the restructuring of fleets to bring the fleet into line with available resources and the introduction of more fuel efficient fishing gear and engines.

I am fully supportive of the application of such measures to the Irish fleet particularly as it is probable that fuel prices are unlikely to revert to their previous lower levels. I have supported proposals that provide for grant aiding the introduction of the most energy-efficient engines under the new European Fisheries Fund, which is currently being negotiated and I am hoping that agreement will be secured at next week's Fisheries Council. I also consider that considerable research activity is required in order to identify the most fuel efficient equipment and practices and I have pressed strongly at Council for this area to be prioritised under the EU's Seventh Framework Programme for Research (2007-2013).

I believe that there is a clear economic imperative, in addition to an environmental dividend, to support measures that improve the economic competitiveness of the Irish fleet.