Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 June 2021
355. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total fishing boat capacity allocated to Ireland under the Common Fisheries Policy; the amount of such capacity that is active at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30375/21]
View answerSection 3 of the Fisheries (Amendment) Act 2003 transferred the functions of sea-fishing boat licensing from the Minister to the Licensing Authority for Sea-fishing Boats, which operates on an independent basis subject to criteria set out in that Act and Ministerial Policy Directives.
The Licensing Authority is the Registrar General of Fishing Boats, an official of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine or, under the superintendence of the Registrar General, the Deputy Registrar General of Fishing Boats. All applications for sea-fishing boat licences are considered by the Licensing Authority.
Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11th December 2013 on the Common Fisheries Policy requires each Member State to put in place measures to adjust the fishing capacity of its fleet to its fishing opportunities over time, taking into account trends and based on best scientific advice, with the objective of achieving a stable and enduring balance between capacity and opportunities. The Regulation set Ireland’s Fishing Capacity Ceiling from 1st January 2014. This ceiling is expressed in terms of gross tonnes (GT) and engine power (kilowatts – kW) for the total fishing capacity of fishing vessels flying the Irish flag.
Ireland’s Fishing Capacity Ceiling is set at 77,568GT and 210,083kW.
As of 1st June 2021, the total amount of on-register capacity is 58436.1GT and 172017.92kW and the amount of off-register capacity that has not expired is 16482.35GT and 17715.75kW.
