Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 25 February 2021
363. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the legal definition that Ireland uses for recognising supertrawlers and factory trawlers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10749/21]
View answerThe Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is a set of rules for managing European fishing fleets and for conserving fish stocks. The relevant CFP Control Regulations do not define "supertrawler" or "factory trawler". However, "factory ship" is referred to in Annex XXIII of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No. 404/2011 (the Fisheries Control Implementing Regulation) in the context of the type of vessel to be recorded as part the information included in surveillance reports regarding sightings and detection of fishing vessels. Similarly, Annex XB of Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1010/2009 (the Implementing Regulation for rules on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing) refers to "factory ship" in the context of the type of vessel recorded in reports of sighted vessels.
These terms are sometimes used to describe large fishing vessels targeting pelagic stocks such as mackerel, horse mackerel and herring. In particular, "factory trawler" usually refers to vessels which process and freeze fish on board the vessel. As the Deputy will be aware, while the Irish fleet does not have "factory vessels", it does include very large fishing vessels which could be termed "supertrawlers".
Under the CFP, EU fishing fleets are given equal access to EU waters and fishing grounds subject to allocated fish quotas. Fishing vessels, irrespective of size, must comply with the rules of the CFP, including rules on access and catch limits/quota.
In relation to access to Ireland's coastal waters, I would point out that all foreign fishing vessels, on the north-west coast, are excluded from Ireland's 12 mile fishing zone, other than for transit purposes. All foreign pelagic fishing vessels are also precluded from fishing in Ireland's 12 mile fishing zone on the west coast. Irish fishing vessels greater than or equal to 36.58m (120 feet) in length are also precluded from fishing in Ireland's 12 mile zone.
Ireland's control authorities, the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority and the Naval Service, are responsible for the monitoring and control of fishing vessels, including large fishing vessels targeting pelagic stocks, in our Exclusive Fisheries Zone to ensure compliance with the rules of the CFP.
