Under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), EU fishing fleets are given equal access to EU waters and fishing grounds subject to allocated fish quotas.
Quotas for the various stocks are allocated for management areas - that is, an ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Seas) area or a part thereof - rather than Member States' EEZs. Ireland's EEZ encompasses part of ICES areas 6a and 6b (off the North-west coast), part of area 7a (the Irish Sea), parts of areas 7g, h, j and k (the Celtic Sea), part of area 7c and all of area 7b (off the West Coast).
The share allocation of stocks between Member States was established as a principle of the first Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) in 1983 and was based on the average catch of each Member State over a period of reference years (track record). The only exception to this relates to the Hague Preferences, on the basis of a special recognition agreement of the underdeveloped nature of the Irish fleet and the heavy control responsibility on us when Ireland joined the EU. The Hague Preferences give Ireland an increased share of traditional stocks (cod, whiting, haddock, sole and plaice) when Total Allowable Catch (TAC) levels reduce below a specified level. The share out of TACs set in more recent years has also been mainly based on track record, the most recent of these of importance to Ireland has been boarfish.
Thirteen Member States have joined the European Union in the past 20 years. Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia joined in 2004. Bulgaria and Romania joined in 2007 and Croatia joined in 2013.
Of these Member States, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland have minimal quota allocations for stocks in Western Waters, that is, the waters around Ireland.
Cyprus, Croatia and Malta have national quotas for Bluefin Tuna. The area for this stock includes the Atlantic Ocean, east of 45 W, and the Mediterranean. However, in practice, these Member States only fish this stock in the Mediterranean.
