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Fish Quotas

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 October 2018

Thursday, 11 October 2018

Questions (36)

Pat the Cope Gallagher

Question:

36. Deputy Pat The Cope Gallagher asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the recently published advice of an organisation (details supplied) which advocates a possible 68% cut in the mackerel total allowable catch for 2019; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the advice is totally flawed as the actual stocks are not in decline; the steps he will take to avoid coastal states adopting the flawed advice in order to prevent the wipe out of the pelagic sector; the bilateral discussions he has undertaken with other coastal states to date on this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41261/18]

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Written answers

The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) is a network of scientists from marine institutes from over 20 member countries including Ireland. ICES provide advice on catch levels for all of the fish stocks of importance to Ireland. This advice is produced through a collaborative process by scientists from around the world including those from the Marine Institute here in Ireland.

The advice for mackerel for 2019 was published on the 28th of September last and is a complex and detailed document. It does contain within it a number of caveats about how the advice is arrived at.

The headline advice is that the catch, by all parties including those who operate outside the 2014 Mackerel Agreement, for 2019 should not exceed 318,403 tonnes. This would equate to a 68% reduction compared to total 2018 catches. Ireland's quota would reduce by 61% compared to 2018.

This advice, like all advice, is based on a number of data inputs that are interpreted by the scientists according to standard rules of procedure. Given the importance of this stock to Ireland, I asked the Marine Institute to provide their views. They have advised that while there was a rigorous analytical process conducted by ICES there are some concerns - recognised by ICES themselves - regarding the quality and the relative weighting of some of the data inputs that were utilised.

In light of this information, Ireland, working in co-operation with a large number of fellow EU Member States, called for an urgent review by ICES of the data inputs. The other Coastal States supported this position as did ICES themselves. The latter confirmed earlier this week that an inter benchmark review will take place as soon as possible.

Mackerel is our single most important fishery and Ireland is the second largest quota holder in the EU. We rely on a long term sustainable fishery. That is why we must be absolutely confident in the scientific advice. If ICES had advised a 60% increase I would be equally calling for a review.

No decision on a TAC level for 2019 was reached between the Coastal States (EU, Norway, Faeroes Islands, Iceland, Greenland and Russia) and a further round of negotiations is scheduled for the 25th and 26th of October. In the interim, I will continue to consult with the Marine Institute and BIM as well as relevant Member States, the Commission negotiators and stakeholders, in particular the fishing industry. The TAC setting will involve all the Coastal States, in particular the other parties to the 2014 Mackerel Agreement, Faeroes and Norway.

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