Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 March 2013
148. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will introduce the prohibition of pair trawling for herring, sprat and bass within a 12 mile radius of our coastline in order to protect marine mammals. [14671/13]
View answerIrish vessels are currently precluded from landing Sea Bass under the Bass (Conservation of Stocks) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 230 of 2006) and the Bass (Restriction on Sale) Regulations 2007 (S.I. No. 367 of 2007). The complete ban for the commercial fishing of sea bass applies to Irish fishing vessels in all areas.
In accordance with the provisions of EU Council Regulation 812/2004 (laying down measures concerning incidental catches of cetaceans in fisheries and amending regulation No 88/98), the second year of an independent dedicated observer programme of cetacean bycatch in Irish pelagic trawl fisheries was completed in 2012. This covered the 200 mile EEZ around Ireland. A total of 201 days at sea have been carried out as part of this programme across a range of pelagic trawl fisheries from August 2010 to March 2012 and no cetacean bycatch or significant bycatch event of other protected species has been observed as part of the programme. In addition to the independent observer programme, the Irish Sea Fisheries Board (BIM) and Marine Institute (MI) carry out onboard observer work as part of technical trials and surveys under the EU Data Collection Framework (DCF). Figures combined from these programmes show that no cetacean bycatch was observed in 57 days at sea onboard Midwater otter trawl (OTM) vessels targeting small pelagic fish, 168 days at sea onboard Midwater pair trawlers targeting small pelagic fish nor 48 days onboard Midwater pair trawlers targeting large pelagic fish (albacore tuna) in 2011. Apart from 4 common dolphins observed as bycatch by an OTM research vessel targeting small pelagic fish in 2006, no cetacean bycatch incidences have occurred in 703 days of observations onboard Irish pelagic trawlers since 2005. Data compiled by Ireland and the UK since monitoring commenced in 2005 have demonstrated that cetacean bycatch incidents are very rare in pelagic trawling operations for small fish (mackerel, herring, horse mackerel etc.). The EU legislation specifically deals with cetaceans in fisheries and does not cover other mammals. Overall responsibility for marine mammals rests with the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.
