Inshore Fisheries

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 October 2021

Tuesday, 5 October 2021

Questions (729, 754)

Holly Cairns

Question:

729. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he is taking to make additional amounts of pelagic quota available to inshore fishers. [47498/21]

Pádraig MacLochlainn

Question:

754. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to review the allocation of species such as mackerel and herring to inshore fishermen. [47823/21]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

I propose to take Questions Nos. 729 and 754 together.

As the Deputy will be aware, in Ireland, fishing quota, including pelagic stocks such as Mackerel and Herring, is a public resource and is managed to provide for proper management and conservation and rational exploitation of the State’s fishing quotas. It is managed as a public good that ensures that property rights are not granted to individual operators. This is seen as a critical policy in order to ensure that quotas are not concentrated into the hands of large fishing companies whose owners have the financial resources to buy up such rights. In Ireland, any movement towards privatisation and concentration of rights into the hands of large companies would seriously risk fishing vessels losing an economic link with Ireland’s coastal communities and undermining the socio-economic importance of the fishing industry in the coastal communities dependent on fishing.

The result of this long-standing policy is that the Irish fishing fleet involves a balanced spread of sizes and types of fishing vessels who have retained a strong economic link with our coastal communities and have delivered economic activity including vital employment in these communities, where there are very limited alternative economic activities.

The arrangements have been set and developed over many years since the commencement of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and the introduction of quotas. Any amendments or changes to the over arching policy on management arrangements are determined by the Minister following detailed analysis and full consultation with stakeholders, in particular the fishing industry.

There are a number of opportunities for vessels to target Mackerel and Herring stocks which are open only to smaller 'inshore' fishing vessels. For example, in 2021 the following pelagic fishing opportunities have been made available to smaller 'inshore' fishing vessels:

Mackerel: Mackerel policy provides that 2.50% of the 13% quota available for polyvalent vessels (194t) be made available to under 18m vessels fishing for mackerel by means other than hook and line. Catch limits are set by monthly Fisheries Management Notice. This fishery remains open with a catch limit of one tonne for each of the months of September and October.

An allocation of 400 tonnes for a fishery for smaller vessels (under 15 metre vessels) fishing for Mackerel by means of hooks and line was set down in Policy in 2010. The then Minister amended the Mackerel policy in July 2017 after intensive review and public consultation, however this amendment did not involve the hook and line fishery.

In order to consider any review of mackerel policy, I must be satisfied that there is satisfactory evidence of changed circumstances to justify a policy review. If I consider there is a case for review of any aspect policy, it will require due process, involving an assessment of all issues arising, including a full public consultation.

There has been, for the past 20 years or so, intensive competition within the industry for a higher share of the mackerel quota. The EU-UK Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) provides for the transfer of 26% of Ireland’s mackerel quota to the UK by 2026. This will only increase demands for a higher share of Ireland’s Mackerel quota from all sectors within the fishing fleet. The Deputy should be aware that the 400 tonne limit for the hook and line fishery has not been reduced and has remained the same as in previous years.

Unfortunately, the situation is that if there is an increase in the Mackerel quota allocation for any group of vessels, such as for the hook and line fishery, it must be taken from others who are already facing significant cuts under the TCA.

Celtic Sea Herring: Ireland's quota for the stock adopted by the EU Fisheries Council, in line with ICES advice, is 750t, specifically to allow for a fisheries-based data collection for this stock. As the quota is being made available to support the gathering of data for the stock, I have approved that setting aside of the 2012 Herring Policy. Taking consideration of the Marine Institute advice and the recommendation of the Celtic Sea Herring Management Advisory Committee, I have approved the increase in the quota being made available to under 17m vessels in the Sentinel fishery from 11% to 25%. The arrangements will provide opportunities for 24 selected inshore vessels over two management periods.

North West Herring: This autumn, the fishery will be operated as a scientific monitoring fishery. I have approved the setting aside of 2012 Herring Policy, to support the collection of data for the stock. In the Spring of 2021, 300t was made available to facilitate data collection in January, February, March and April. 120 tonnes of this quota was made available to 8 under 12m vessels. For the Autumn period, 235t (21% of the available quota) will be made available to inshore vessels less than 12m. This will initially provide opportunities for 19 vessels. This may increase after 26 November if the uncaught quota by larger vessels is re-allocated. The re-allocation provides that 50% of this quota will be made available to authorise additional inshore vessels.

Irish Sea Herring: For 2021 the available quota 915t has been allocated to 10 selected vessels. Five of these vessels are smaller vessels under 40ft registered length.

Horse Mackerel: 29t was set aside for a summer fishery under 12m in length overall fishing exclusively by means of ring nets.