Jennifer Whitmore
Question:468. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if bycatch reduction plans will be put in place in 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42635/20]
View answerThursday, 10 December 2020
Questions (468, 469, 470, 471)
Jennifer Whitmore
Question:469. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures being considered to ensure that all vessels benefitting from bycatch TACs in 2021 comply with full catch documentation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42636/20]
View answerJennifer Whitmore
Question:470. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures being considered to ensure the rapid recovery of the Celtic Sea cod and Celtic Sea whiting to go above the level capable of producing MSY; the monitoring processes recommended by STECF being considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42637/20]
View answerJennifer Whitmore
Question:471. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if measures such as CCTV will be put in place to ensure that all vessels benefitting from bycatch TACs in 2021 comply with full catch documentation; if not, the way in which Irish vessels will comply with the need for full catch documentation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42638/20]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 468 to 471, inclusive, together.
There are certain stocks for which ICES (the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas) has issued scientific advice for no catches. However, the Landing Obligation requires that if these stocks are caught, even as a by-catch, they must be landed. These by-catch stocks in the Celtic Sea, the Irish Sea and the North West occur as by-catches in our mixed whitefish fisheries, therefore, if a zero Total Allowable Catch (TAC) were set, this would lead to the closure of entire fisheries.
Last year, in order to reduce catches of depleted stocks in mixed fisheries, the Council agreed to set restrictive Total Allowable Catches (TACs) to allow for unavoidable by-catches of these stocks. In order to reduce the catches of stocks for which by-catch TACs were set, the TACs for the other stocks in the fisheries in which these vulnerable stocks are caught were set at levels that help the biomass of the vulnerable stocks recover to sustainable levels. In addition, these measures were complemented by the adoption of remedial technical measures in the Celtic Sea and the continuation of such measures in the Irish Sea and the North-West.
For 2020, remedial measures were agreed by Member States in respect of Celtic Sea cod and whiting, recognising these stocks were below biological reference points and measures were needed to bring these stocks back above the level capable of producing MSY, in accordance with the Western Waters multiannual plan (Regulation (EU) 2019/472). Such measures were designed to improve selectivity by requiring the use of gear that have lower levels of by-catches of cod and whiting in the areas where such catches are significant, thus decreasing the fishing mortality of this stock in mixed fisheries. The TACs set for these species were set at a level designed to avoid potential discarding, which could undermine data collection and scientific assessment of the stock and to ensure rapid return of the stock to levels capable of producing MSY.
The Commission requested its Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) to review the impacts of these remedial measures and to assess the ongoing measures proposed by the North Western Waters Group of Member States, of which Ireland is a member. In their findings, STECF noted that the measures proposed should as a minimum lead to benefits for the conservation of marine biological resources by reducing the catches of juveniles. However, STECF did note that to carry out a full analysis, disaggregated quantitative data specific to the fisheries studied are needed. Monitoring of catch data by fishing operation or trip (including levels of discards) from the fishery is required to estimate the proportion and total volume of historical catches of by-catch species below or above the given catch thresholds specified in the Regulation. This will provide accurate data on the levels of by-catch of cod and whiting and identify the vessels that have by-catches of a sufficient level to require the use of the selective gears set out in the Regulation. Following on from the STECF advice, the Commission has requested that Member States provide such information in order to allow such an assessment to be carried out. Ireland is working with the other Member States to supply such information based on observer data provided by the Marine Institute and logbook data provided from the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA).
With regards to additional control measures to ensure by-catch TACs are enforced, the EU Commission has proposed amendments to the EU Fisheries control framework. Negotiations on the new Fisheries Control Regulation are currently ongoing in both the EU Council and the European Parliament. Some of the measures being considered include provisions for full catch documentation, such as Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) which involves, for example the use of CCTV cameras on vessels. Ireland is supportive of the proposed introduction of a risk-based REM system. As a Coastal Member State, Ireland supports this proposal provided that Coastal States has access to the data gathered within this system on a near real time basis to support the work of the control authorities.