Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 December 2017
565. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the final 2018 Irish quotas agreed in tonnage for each fishing species at the EU fishing Ministers' meeting; the value in euro if available; the final 2017 quota agreed for each such species; and the difference between 2017 and 2018 quotas in percentage terms. [53976/17]
View answerThe annual EU Fisheries Council took place on 11 and 12 December in Brussels. Following two very challenging days of intensive negotiations I am satisfied to have secured a total package of fish quotas worth €266 million for Irish fishermen for 2018.
This included a 15% increase in prawns, worth over €10.6m to the Irish fleet, which is the biggest single increase in over a decade. Ireland's overall quota for prawns in 2018 amounts to 10,729 tonnes with a total value of €83m.
There were a number of difficult issues facing us their year but the final package is a balanced and sustainable one.
The Irish quotas agreed at this December's EU Fisheries Council Meeting are as follows:
