Fish Quotas

Tuesday, 16 October 2012

Questions (549)

Thomas Pringle

Question:

549. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a breakdown in tabular form of quota allocated to each vessel in the north west herring fishery in September 2012 and a comparative table for September 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44745/12]

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Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Ireland has 91% of the southern stock (ICES Area VIa South and VIIb,c) and a 15% share of the stock off Scotland (ICES Area VIa North). The scientific advice for the southern stock over recent years has been that the landings should be reduced and as a result there have been cuts to the TAC year on year since 2006 A rebuilding plan for the stock has been prepared by the Irish industry in consultation with the Marine Institute and submitted by the Regional Advisory Council for Pelagic stocks to the EU Commission. The Commission has referred the plan to the EU Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for advice which is expected shortly. There is an EU Management Plan in place since 2008 for the northern stock off the coast of Scotland and the TAC is set each year in accordance with the terms of that plan.

Over the past few years there has been increased interest in participation in these fisheries. This has raised concern about the sustainability of the stock in the context of that level of participation and in relation to the economic viability of individual quota allocations with that increased level of participation.

In 2011, I asked the fishing industry and other interested parties to make proposals on the future management arrangements for all Irish herring fisheries. The objective of the review was to deliver a policy which would ensure an economically and biologically sustainable fishery. I received over 20 sets of proposals and comments in relation to herring stocks management. It was very clear from these documents that there was no agreement within the industry as to how the future herring fishing opportunities should be managed. I asked my Department to examine the proposals received and to prepare for me a number of options, which as far as practically possible, took the views of stakeholders into account while delivering proper and effective management.

On 22 December 2011, I published a draft policy document on the matter and I consulted and met industry regarding the draft policy, again there was no consensus. On 8 June 2012 I issued a policy, having considered all views and having regard to the sustainability of the fisheries which I believe provides for the proper and effective management and conservation and rational exploitation of the herring stocks. The policy is based on giving access to each of the fisheries to those with recent track record in that particular fishery. The track record involves vessels having landed a minimum of 5 tonnes of herring in 2009 or 2010 or in 3 of the 5 years during the period 2006 to 2010. In addition, there are some very limited specified circumstances where an earlier track record may be taken into account.

The decision made was based on a clear, detailed and objective assessment of the fisheries in recent years. This policy is intended to ensure the long term sustainability of the herring fisheries by limiting participation in the main fisheries to those vessels which have participated in the fishery, in the 5 years prior to the commencement of the review, even at a low level. The number of vessels which were allocated quota is as follows: 2009 – 65 vessels, 2010 - 63 vessels, 2011 – 92 vessels and 2012 – 56 vessels. The revised arrangements have been applied in the North West herring Fishery which commenced on 1/10/2012.

Ireland’s quotas for each stock for 2011 and 2012 are as follows:

Table 1 Quota adjustments

2011	ICES Area VIa South and VIIb,c	ICES Area VIa North:
Quota	4,065	3,396
Carry over	851	309
Transferred	385	-385
Swap	-	75
Total (8696)	5,301	3,395

Quota Adjustments

2012	ICES Area VIa South and VIIb,c	ICES Area VIa North:
Quota	3,861	3,459
Carry over	530	319
Transferred	386	-386
Swap	-	24
Total (8,193)	4,777	3,416

The table below is the data which the Deputy has requested.

Table 2. North West Herring Quota allocations per vessel. (Tonnes).

Vessel Name	2011	2012
Vessel 1	192	218
Vessel 2	57	65
Vessel 3	73	-
Vessel 4	274	311
Vessel 5	57	84
Vessel 6	274	311
Vessel 7	73	84
Vessel 8	48	54
Vessel 9	57	-
Vessel 10	192	218
Vessel 11	73	84
Vessel 12	48	54
Vessel 13	48	-
Vessel 14	123	140
Vessel 15	73	84
Vessel 16	48	-
Vessel 17	57	-
Vessel 18	48	-
Vessel 19	73	84
Vessel 20	123	140
Vessel 21	57	-
Vessel 22	48	-
Vessel 23	48	54
Vessel 24	57	84
Vessel 25	73	84
Vessel 26	48	-
Vessel 27	48	-
Vessel 28	48	-
Vessel 29	73	84
Vessel 30	192	218
Vessel 31	192	218
Vessel 32	73	84
Vessel 33	-	84
Vessel 34	-	311
Vessel 35	57	-
Vessel 36	48	-
Vessel 37	48	-
Vessel 38	48	-
Vessel 39	57	-
Vessel 40	123	140
Vessel 41	73	84
Vessel 42	48	-
Vessel 43	57	65
Vessel 44	48	-
Vessel 45	73	84
Vessel 46	73	84
Vessel 47	274	-
Vessel 48	48	-
Vessel 49	57	65
Vessel 50	48	-
Vessel 51	73	84
Vessel 52	48	-
Vessel 53	48	-
Vessel 54	48	-
Vessel 55	57	-
Vessel 56	123	140
Vessel 57	48	-
Vessel 58	192	218
Vessel 59	57	65
Vessel 60	48	-
Vessel 61	57	-
Vessel 62	73	84
Vessel 63	73	84
Vessel 64	192	218
Vessel 65	192	218
Vessel 66	57	65
Vessel 67	274	311
Vessel 68	48	54
Vessel 69	73	84
Vessel 70	48	-
Vessel 71	73	84
Vessel 72	48	54
Vessel 73	48	-
Vessel 74	48	-
Vessel 75	73	84
Vessel 76	123	140
Vessel 77	274	311
Vessel 78	73	84
Vessel 79	48	54
Vessel 80	48	-
Vessel 81	48	-
Vessel 82	48	-
Vessel 83	48	-
Vessel 84	-	84
Vessel 85	274	311
Vessel 86	192	218
Vessel 87	73	-
Vessel 88	48	-
Vessel 89	48	54
Vessel 90	192	218
Vessel 91	48	-
Vessel 92	274	311
Vessel 93	274	311
Vessel 94	123	140
Vessel 95	73	-
Total Allocated	8596	7757
Number Vessels	92	56