Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 September 2021
1602. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department will provide an estimate in cooperation with the relevant fishermen and fishermen’s co-ops as to the estimated financial loss to the Irish fishing fleet to date in 2021 as a result of the ongoing blockage of Irish fishing vessels from the waters around Rockall. [43159/21]
View answerIreland has never made any claims to Rockall, which is a small uninhabitable granite rock located approximately 160 nautical miles west of the Scottish islands of St. Kilda and some 230 nautical miles to the north-west of Donegal. Nor has Ireland ever recognised British sovereignty claims over Rockall, and accordingly has not recognised a 12 nautical mile territorial sea around it either. This remains the position of the Government.
The Government has been in contact with the relevant Scottish and UK authorities on Rockall over recent years and intensively since the beginning of the year.
Through this engagement, the Government is seeking to address the issues involved, reflecting the longstanding fisheries tradition in the area.
Both myself and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Coveney T.D., as well as our respective officials, continue to consider all options for further engagement on the issues involved and are working closely together.
While engagement continues, there remains an increased risk of enforcement action being taken by Scottish fisheries control authorities against Irish vessels operating in the waters around Rockall at present.
Irish vessels have traditionally fished for haddock, squid and other species in the Rockall zone for many decades. These fisheries are of substantial economic importance to our fishing fleet based in Greencastle, Killybegs, Castletownbere and other ports around the country.
While haddock and other species may be fished outside the 12 nautical mile zone around Rockall, the squid fishery only occurs within the 12 nm zone. The interim report of the Seafood Sector Task Force, which was published in June, estimates that the total squid fishery is valued at around €6.6 million (based on 2019 landings).
I am acutely aware of the impact on our industry of the absence of a squid fishery this year. I have asked my Department to examine this matter through the framework of the Seafood Sector Task Force.
