Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 10 March 2009
472 Deputy Michael Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the role and function of his Department regarding the monitoring of gross tonnage and registered kilowatts in the fishing industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10038/09]
View answerCouncil Regulation 2371/2002 on the conservation and sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources under the Common Fisheries Policy requires Member States to put in place measures to adjust the fishing capacity of their fleets in order to achieve a stable and enduring balance between such fishing capacity and their fishing opportunities. Commission Regulation 1438/2003 of 12 August 2003, laying down implementing rules on the Community Fleet Policy as defined in the Council Regulation, specifies the Reference Levels (effectively fleet capacity limits) expressed in terms of gross tonnes (GTs) and engine power (expressed in kilowatts — kW) for the total fishing capacity of fishing vessels flying the flag of each Member State.
Member States are required to ensure that these Reference Levels are not exceeded and to manage entries into the fleet and exits from the fleet in such a way that, from 1 January 2003, the entry of new capacity into the fleet without public aid is compensated by the previous withdrawal without public aid of at least the same amount of capacity. The Regulation also sets out provisions relating to the maintenance by Member States of fishing fleet registers as well as the Community fleet register, containing information supplied by Member States on vessel characteristics and activity.
In Ireland, the fleet reference level and entry/exit regime is managed at operational level by the Licensing Authority for Sea Fishing Boats, as part of the sea fishing boat licensing and registration process.
Under the Fisheries (Amendment) Act 2003, the functions of sea-fishing boat licensing were transferred from the Minister to the Licensing Authority for Sea-Fishing Boats, which operates on an independent basis subject to criteria set out in that Act and Ministerial Policy Directives. All applications for sea-fishing boat licences are considered by the Licensing Authority. The head of the Licensing Authority is the Registrar General of Fishing Boats who is a senior official in the Department.
The Registrar General of Fishing Boats has advised me that the Licensing Authority for Sea Fishing Boats requires documentary evidence of the Gross Tonnage, (GT) and Engine Power in Kilowatts, (KW) for each vessel as part of the sea-fishing boat licensing and registration process. The Marine Survey Office of the Department of Transport provide technical expertise in relation to aspects of licensing and registration of fishing vessels.
