Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 January 2010
126 Deputy Dinny McGinley asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will consider including dogfish in allowable by-catch for gill netting fishermen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3789/10]
View answerThe proposed Council Regulation fixing for 2010 the fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks, applicable in Community waters and, for Community vessels, in waters where catch limitations are required states that in the case of Spurdog/Dogfish (Squalus acanthias) the following rules will apply; By-catches are permitted up to 10% of the 2009 quotas established in Annex Ia to Regulation (EC) No 43/2009 under the following conditions:
a maximum landing size of 100 cm (total length) shall be respected, and
the by-catches comprise less than 10% of the total weight of marine organisms on board the fishing vessel.
Catches not complying with these conditions or exceeding these quantities shall be promptly released unharmed to the extent practicable.
In effect this means that Irish vessel may catch up to a maximum of approximately 19 tonnes of spurdog/dogfish as a by catch in 2010. At the monthly Whitefish Meeting between officials of my Department and fishing industry representatives held on 22 January 2010, the Federation of Irish Fishermen proposed that for the month of February 2010 a by catch provision of 2% for this stock should be applicable to all vessels. This proposal has been accepted by Minster Killeen and will be implemented by way of Fisheries Management Notice later this week.
