Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 March 2014
349. Deputy Andrew Doyle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the action he is taking to co-ordinate the development of a national management strategy for Irish inshore fisheries to provide objectives for the work of the FLAG on regional inshore fisheries management. [10724/14]
View answerFisheries Local Action Groups, FLAGs, are funded under the Fisheries Local Area Development Scheme, a community led local development initiative, administered by Bord Iascaigh Mhara as part of the Seafood Development Programme 2007-2013. The Scheme aims to support the diversification of the economies of traditional fishing communities to help maintain people and jobs in these areas. The Scheme is co-funded by the Exchequer and the European Fisheries Fund.
Six Fisheries Local Action Groups covering the entirety of the Irish coastline have been established as part of the Scheme. Following a lengthy process of consultation and analysis of the economic needs of their respective FLAG territories, the six FLAGs developed their respective Local Development Strategies over the past two years and five of the six have been published on the BIM website, with the final one to follow shortly. These Local Development Strategies guide the work of the FLAGs in selecting development projects in their areas to support.
The FLAGs have no direct role in relation to management of fisheries. However, in preparing their strategies, FLAGs can identify challenges which affect their stakeholders, including in relation to exploitation of fisheries, which warrant a strategic response and outline projects or measures which the FLAG will support for the benefit of their stakeholders. I understand that each of the five published strategies has identified projects or measures which relate to the exploitation of inshore stocks. In that regard I see great potential in the FLAGs to support small scale coastal fishermen and their communities for whom inshore fisheries are a critical part of their livelihood.
In relation to a national management strategy for inshore fisheries, Food Harvest 2020 recommended the implementation of a specific Inshore Fisheries Management framework should proceed as speedily as possible, to allow sustainable management of high value inshore stocks, consistent with conservation requirements. My policy priority for inshore fisheries is to bring management of inshore fisheries into full compliance with the Habitats and Birds Directives and with the judgement of the European Court of Justice in case C418/04. This is a necessary precursor to developing national inshore fisheries management plans and will also support sustainable development of inshore fisheries into the future.
This year is likely to be highly significant one for inshore fisheries, particularly in relation to the Habitats and Birds Directives. The Marine Institute is presently preparing risk assessments under article 6 of the Habitats Directive in respect of all fisheries in or adjacent to all marine Natura 2000 sites. I expect to receive the Marine Institute’s reports on these assessments in the coming months. Where mitigation responses are required to ensure the protection of designated habitats and species, it will be necessary for all stakeholders, particularly the fishing industry and its representatives, to contribute to the development of effective mitigation responses.
Notwithstanding the priority afforded to the Birds and Habitats issues, in late 2013, my Department engaged in a lengthy period of consultation with lobster and shrimp fishermen on the need for additional conservation measures to ensure the sustainability of the lobster and shrimp fisheries. The in-excess of 200 submissions received raised many important issues which are currently under consideration.
