Written Answers Nos. 851-870
851. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated cost associated with the proposed review of the Teagasc marginal abatement cost curve per action 303 of the climate action plan; if he plans to receive periodic or interim reports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15911/22]
View answerThe Greenhouse Gas Marginal Abatement Cost Curve (GHG MACC) for Irish Agriculture quantifies the opportunities for abatement of agricultural greenhouse gases, as well as the associated costs/benefits and visualises the abatement potential of greenhouse gas mitigation measures, and the relative costs associated with each of these measures.
The original MACC curve, out to 2030, initially published in 2018 is currently under review. This is being carried out by Teagasc using internal resources and it is expected a peer reviewed paper will be published in the short term. This review will mark as complete the action under the Climate Action Plan to review the existing MACC.
Funding of €2,198,002 has also been granted under the Department's 2021 Competitive Research Call to the project 'Land-Use, Agriculture and Bioenergy Measures for the Abatement of Climate Change (LAB MACC)' .
This new project will build on the previous Marginal Abatement Cost Curve and quantify mitigation associated with a range of new measures that reduce nitrous oxide emissions, enhance carbon sinks via land-use and displace fossil fuel emissions via closed farm nutrient loops using enhanced production of bio-based products. The review of the existing MACC will also input into this wider LAB MACC project.
The project commenced on 1/11/2021 and has an end-date of 31/10/2026. Interim project progress reports will be submitted after 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 months with the final progress report at 60 months and a final report.
852. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he plans to consult with an organisation (details supplied) on action 306 of the climate action plan to scope out policy on a national fertiliser register, to include legal advice and consultation with a wide variety of stakeholders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15912/22]
View answerWork is currently ongoing on the development of a National Fertiliser User Register. This project involves the development of a fertiliser register which will record both fertiliser and lime sales data at farm, retail, wholesale, manufacturing and import level and the legislation underpinning this Register.
In this regard, I intend to establish a consultative committee in the coming weeks where the key stakeholders in this area will be invited to participate and contribute views, including the organisation named.
853. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the current use of clover in reseed swards; the targets for the future adoption of same; the supports available to encourage the use of clover; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15913/22]
View answerMy Department acknowledges the important role that clover can play in reducing our dependence on chemical nitrogen fertiliser. This is particularly relevant now given the cost of fertiliser.
With the exception of farmers availing of a Nitrates Derogation, the use of clover when reseeding is optional for each farmer to decide, however given the benefits that it brings, most grass seed mixes marked in Ireland now contain at least some clover.
Last week I announced a package of measures worth over €12 million to provide support for Irish farmers in response to the current cost issues that they are experiencing. This package included the Multi-Species Sward Measure which launched last Friday, 25th March. Clover forms a key constituent of multi-species swards and subject to farmer uptake and seed availability, it is anticipated that this Measure will establish approximately 12,000ha of multi-species swards over the coming months.
My Officials are currently working to develop the other initiatives announced in last week’s package, including the Red Clover Silage Measure. Further details on this measure will be available shortly.
To further promote the benefits of clover, Teagasc will run a nationwide series of clover farm walks during the month of April.
Looking to the longer term, and in recognition of the role clover can play, Ireland’s draft CAP Strategic Plan includes a proposed Eco-Scheme action which will require farmers to sow a multi-species sward on at least 6% of their eligible area if they select this as an Eco-Scheme action. Subject to European Commission approval this support will be available to farmers from 2023.
854. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has a strategy to increase the procurement of organic produce by Departments, State agencies or public bodies; if his Department provides related guidance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15914/22]
View answerThe Strategy for the Development of the Organic Sector identified Public Procurement as an area to be developed. Minister of State Hackett is currently examining the composition of the membership of the Organic Strategy Group to ensure that a wide range of stakeholders in the organic meat, dairy, horticulture, cereals and aquaculture sectors are represented as well as expertise from the Office of Government Procurement.
A meeting of the Strategy Group will be held in the near future, and measures to assist in developing public procurement in the organic sector will be an item on the agenda.
The Office of Government Procurement (OGP) is the Office, operating under the aegis of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, which is responsible for public procurement.
The broader guidance issued to public bodies is contained within the Action Plan on Green Public Procurement which falls within the remit of Department of Environment, Climate and Communications.
Government consumption accounts for a sizeable part of economic activity and demand. This provides Ireland’s public sector with considerable leverage to stimulate the marketplace in favour of the provision of more resource-efficient, less polluting goods, services and works.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the aegis of DECC has issued updated guidelines in 2021 on Green Public Procurement, which incorporates Organic produce under Food and Catering Services
The Guidance is accompanied by Irish Green Public Procurement criteria for the ten priority sectors which have been developed, based on common EU criteria with adaptations to reflect the Irish market and procurement practices. These criteria are designed to be directly inserted into tender documents, and include information on how compliance can be confirmed, for example by reference to eco-labels or environmental product declarations including evidence of organic certification.
855. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the targets for increasing the percentage of the suckler beef herd recording cow and calf weight in each of the years 2022 to 2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15915/22]
View answerAt the outset, I want to reaffirm my commitment to the suckler and beef farmers. They are the backbone of huge parts of rural Ireland and drive a multi-billion euro sector.
Ireland's Climate Action Plan in 2021 includes an action to increase beef herd weight recording from 30% to 70% by 2030.
Weight recording was a mandatory measure in the BEEP-S schemes from 2019 to 2022. Participant feedback on the BEEP-S measure to date support the assertion that it has helped farmers recognise the benefits of weighing their animals and the data generated has been shown to have improved the accuracy of genetic evaluations. The BEEP-S scheme has demonstrated that the higher replacement index cows have a lower liveweight (circa 20 kg) than lower index cows but produce a heavier calf (circa 10 kg) at weaning.
Weight recording in the context of the measurement of weaning efficiency is one of a number of measures included in the proposed Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme aimed at improving the economic and environmental sustainability of beef production in Ireland through enhancing the genetic merit of national herd.
This proposed scheme is aimed at making a positive contribution towards supporting farm incomes in the suckler sector directly through the payments under the programme but also indirectly through increasing the efficiency of the animals supported by the scheme. The proposed scheme, as with all environmental measures under the CAP, will operate on a five-year contract. Participation is voluntary.
Further details on this draft scheme can be found here: www.gov.ie/en/publication/76026-common-agricultural-policy-cap-post-2020/
856. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of public and private farm advisers providing advice in relation to organic farming; the number who are being upskilled in organic farming as a result of action 362 of the climate action plan; the cost of action 362 of the climate action plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15916/22]
View answerMy Department is well aware that advisory support is key to ensure farmers have the confidence and the appropriate knowledge to convert to organic farming. This is why we are investing in more advisory capacity.
I understand at present that the Agricultural Consultants Association (ACA) have 10 members providing organic advisory services. My Department is currently providing funding to the Association to provide two levels of training; an introductory level course on Organics, which will provide training to approximately 95 ACA members and an additional QQI level 5 certification for approximately 65 ACA members.
This investment will provide on-farm as well as classroom training for advisors, demonstration walks for farmers and an unprecedented level of expertise and advice at local level for interested farmers.
Currently in Teagasc, there are two organic specialists, with a third specialist being currently recruited with a focus on the tillage sector. Teagasc have also committed to recruiting a fourth specialist who will have a focus on horticulture. Overall at present in addition to the Organic specialists, Teagasc have 17 organic contact advisors, based in all management units nationwide.
The new Continued Professional Development (CPD) programme will involve the upskilling of Farm Advisory Service (FAS) approved Agricultural Advisors in some of the key priority areas for the sector (biodiversity, ecology, climate change, water and soil, health and safety etc). There are currently circa 800 FAS approved advisors. It is envisaged that the CPD programme will be delivered in 2022 via an online DAFM e-learning platform. The provision of the online e-learning platform and content in each of the key priority areas was secured via competitive tender processes in 2021. The CPD Programme is expected to be launched in mid-2022, with the first training module on climate change adaptation and mitigation. The full cost of the CPD programme is €245,000.
857. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of surgical artificial inseminations carried out on greyhounds between 2019 and 2021; and the number of those inseminations that were carried out with sperm straws collected from now deceased stud dogs. [15919/22]
View answerThe Irish Coursing Club (ICC) is the organisation charged with the role of Keeper of the Irish Greyhound Stud Book (IGSB) since 1923. The Stud Book records pedigrees, ownerships, breeding data and transfers of ownership primarily of all greyhounds. The ICC is subject to the general control and direction of Rásaíocht Con Éireann.
The ICC has provided the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine with the information contained in the table below detailing the number of surgical artificial inseminations carried out on greyhounds between 2019 and 2021 and the number of those inseminations that were carried out with sperm straws collected from now deceased stud dogs.
Number of surgical artificial inseminations
|
- |
Frozen Semen Insemination Matings |
Deceased Sires |
|
2019 |
312 |
30 |
|
2020 |
402 |
24 |
|
2021 |
452 |
27 |
858. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to introduce regulation and a database of stud dogs. [15920/22]
View answerThe Irish Coursing Club (ICC) is the organisation charged with the role of Keeper of the Irish Greyhound Stud Book (IGSB) since 1923. The Stud Book records pedigrees, ownerships, breeding data and transfers of ownership primarily of all greyhounds. The ICC is subject to the general control and direction of Rásaíocht Con Éireann.
The ICC has informed the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine that Section 4 (2) of S.I. No 561 of 2005, Artificial Insemination of Greyhounds Regulations, 2005 refers to the registration of stud sires and states the following:
“(2) Registration of stud sires available for artificial insemination purposes shall be effected in the Irish Greyhound Stud Book. Subject to the provisions of regulation 9 (1) and 10 (1), no stud sire shall be available or used for artificial insemination purposes until he shall have been registered in the Irish Greyhound Stud Book as a stud sire available for artificial insemination purposes.”
859. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the percentage of afforestation licences issued by his Department in 2021 that exceeded the agreed timeframes set out in the Farmers' Charter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15926/22]
View answerIn 2021 my Department issued 502 afforestation licences for 4,245 hectares. 18% of these were issued within the Farmers Charter timelines of 18 weeks from date advertised.
As the Deputy will be aware we have faced delays in the licensing system because of court judgements that led to a more onerous Appropriate Assessment procedure and the need for ecological input on most licences.
These delays are being dealt with under Project Woodland and our investment in resources and in more streamlined procedures has resulted in an increase in the overall number of licences issued in 2021. We will build on this momentum in 2022 and as outlined in our Licensing Plan will issue 30% more licences overall at 5,250. We will give a higher priority to afforestation licences with a more than doubling of output at 1,040 licences.
It is our aim to reduce the turnaround time for licences from their current levels, and in this respect we will be looking to foresters to submit quality afforestation applications to facilitate more efficient processing. In this regard we have a pilot Pre-Application Discussion scheme available in three districts in order to assist foresters who have questions on the application process, with plans to expand nation-wide.
860. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the average number of recon and underplanting scheme approvals and decisions that the Forestry Service must issue each week from now until the end of the year 2022 to ensure that all of the applications currently on hand in his Department are dealt with by the end of 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15927/22]
View answerSince the first finding of ash dieback disease in Ireland, my Department has provided support totalling over €7 million to owners of ash plantations impacted by ash dieback disease through the ash dieback reconstitution scheme (introduced in 2013) and more recently the Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme (RUS – Ash dieback) introduced in July 2020.
Applications for that RUS are received regularly, and decisions are issued as the assessment of the applications are complete. To date, the Department has received 608 applications covering 2,459ha and has issued 186 decisions for 600ha.
The Forestry Licensing Plan 2022 was published earlier this year and deals with projected licensing output and approvals for support schemes and may be found here gov.ie - Forestry Licensing Plan 2022 (www.gov.ie). A key target of the plan is to refocus on the delivery on approvals from the Reconstitution and Underplanting Scheme (RUS) (Ash Dieback). Many RUS applications are screened in for Appropriate Assessment and are referred to ecology. Of these, any that propose replacing the ash crop with conifer species currently require planning permission. My Department continues to engage with the Department of Housing Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH), with the objective of removing the planning permission requirement for these files.
861. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a full grant (details supplied) that was approved by a State body will be paid; when his Department will sanction this grant payment; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15942/22]
View answerRásaíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ) is a commercial state body, established under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958 chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. RCÉ is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
RCÉ made an application to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine for approval of a grant of €1m towards the redevelopment of Kilkenny Greyhound Stadium. This application is currently being considered by officials in the Department in the context of RCÉ's operations as a whole.
862. Deputy Paul Kehoe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the regulations that are in place to prevent (details supplied); if additional regulations are needed in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15983/22]
View answerThe Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine ensures all marts are licensed under SI 128/2018.
Section 6 sets out the accommodation requirements for animals kept in marts. In the normal course of events the vast majority of animals are removed from the mart shortly after being sold. It is not normal practice for animals to be kept overnight in marts, however, in some circumstances, it can happen that animals may not be able to leave the mart on the day they are sold.
The Deputy will also be aware that the are at times evening sales at marts. In circumstances where animals are retained overnight, there must be suitable facilities to provide for the welfare of animals - pens must be bedded, and feed and water must be provided.
863. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which the issue of food security in Europe has been discussed during exchanges with his European Union colleagues in recent weeks and days. [15301/22]
View answerThe European Commission is working closely with Member States to protect and enhance the resilience of Europe’s energy security of supply. The Commission is also actively engaging with other countries to ensure sufficient and timely supply to the EU from diverse sources across the globe to avoid supply shocks. On 8th March, The European Commission proposed in REPOWEReu an outline of a plan to make Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels, starting with gas, in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The European Union Council conclusions of 24th-25th March stated that the European Union will phase out its dependency on Russian gas, oil and coal imports as soon as possible, as set out in the Versailles Declaration. In close coordination with Member States, the Commission will submit a plan, to this effect, by the end of May 2022. Ireland is continuing to monitor international energy (gas and oil) markets and to consult with its EU and international partners on appropriate measures, if necessary, to ensure energy security in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Ireland’s policy of holding a Strategic Oil Reserve equivalent to 90 days supply is required by both its membership of the EU and the International Energy Agency (IEA) and is provided for by the National Oil Reserves Agency Act (NORA) 2007. NORA has operational responsibility for the day to day management of the State's strategic oil reserve. These reserves are available to be placed in the domestic market in the event of a shortage of petroleum products arising in the commercial supply chains or released to the international markets as part of an IEA collective action.
864. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of full-time archaeologists directly employed by his Department on 21 March 2020 and 21 March 2022, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16127/22]
View answerMy Department uses workforce planning processes to identify critical resources necessary to formulate long-term strategic policy development to encourage the continuing prosperity of Ireland’s agri-food sector, including the fisheries and forestry sectors. Workforce planning is a key tool in enabling my Department to anticipate current and future staffing needs.
The table below shows the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) archaeologists directly employed by my Department on 21st March 2020 and 21st March 2022.
|
Number of FTE archaeologists |
2 |
Overall, staffing levels and needs within locations and divisions are continually monitored and staff are assigned as business needs dictate.
A competition for the recruitment of archaeologists is ongoing currently. The competition was open to applications between 3rd and 22nd March 2022.
865. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of retainers his Department has with outside organisations; and the cost of each retainer, in tabular form. [16144/22]
View answerI advise the Deputy that my Department does not have any retainers with outside organisations.
867. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will initiate a full and comprehensive review of the current allocation methodology for the Irish hook and line mackerel fishers that dates back to the finish of drift net fishing for salmon in 2006, given that he is empowered to so do under the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006, to address as a matter of urgency the clear, continuing and unjustifiable inequity which is at the core of the present Irish mackerel quota allocation arrangement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16183/22]
View answerAn allocation of 400 tonnes for a fishery for smaller vessels fishing for Mackerel by means of hooks and line, which is largely prosecuted by the inshore fleet including under 12 metre vessels, 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 particular amendment did not involve the hook and line fishery.
In order to amend 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 of a policy, it would 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 for any sector in the allocation made available, such as for the hook and line fishery, it must be taken from others who are already facing significant cuts under the TCA.
The management arrangements, within the policy, for the Mackerel hook and line fishery has been on the agenda and discussed with Industry representatives at recent meetings of the Quota Management Advisory Committee (QMAC). It is important to note that the remit of the QMAC is to examine and make recommendations within Ministerial Policy. I have asked the QMAC to examine measures to strengthen the management arrangements for the 2022 Mackerel hook and line fishery, within the policy, for my consideration.
868. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the recent intervention by the French Government of support equivalent to €0.35 per litre between now and the end of July 2022 to allow the French fishing fleet to continue fishing given the unprecedented fuel crisis; if he plans to re-examine supports that can be offered to the Irish fishing sector; the supports that may be available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16274/22]
View answerI am acutely conscious of the impact on fishers of the significant increases in the price of marine diesel. I heard directly from representative groups at a meeting a fortnight ago about the impacts of the high fuel prices on the profitability of fishing. The Government is also very conscious of the impacts of high fuel costs on many other sectors of the economy.
On 23 March 2022, the European Commission published its ‘Temporary Crisis Framework for State Aid measures to support the economy following the aggression against Ukraine by Russia’. The purpose of the Temporary Crisis Framework is to specify the criteria for the assessment by the Commission of the compatibility with the internal market, of State Aid measures, that Member States may take to remedy the economic effects arising from the war and related market disruption. The Framework provides that the Commission will consider temporary limited amounts of aid to undertakings affected to be compatible with the internal market provided that certain conditions are met. A State Aid Notification is required for any measure proposed.
In relation to primary producers in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, the Framework provides a State Aid basis for Member States to propose in a State Aid Notification a support scheme for undertakings affected, granting aid no later than 31 December 2022 and to a maximum of €35,000 per undertaking. Of course, such a scheme has to demonstrate that the aid proposed is proportionate to the impacts on the undertakings concerned.
Separately, on 25 March 2022, the European Commission adopted a Commission Decision under article 26 of the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund Regulation (2021/1139), recognising in accordance with that article the Ukraine war as an 'exceptional events causing a significant disruption of markets'. That Commission Decision facilitates Member States in using, if they so choose, article 26 as a basis to make available compensation under their EMFAF Programmes to operators in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors for their income foregone or additional costs related to the exceptional event, or alternatively to provide aid to producer organisations for storage aid, a market support mechanism that aids the freezing and cold storage of fish in periods of market turbulence and its subsequent release to the market when matters improve. Related to implementation of the article 26 measures, the Commission is presently preparing a working paper on methodologies to calculate income foregone and additional costs.
The Commission has also stated that it is examining a possible legislative proposal for an amendment of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Regulation (508/2014) to facilitate Member States in using remaining funds in their EMFF Programmes for the 2014-20 period for this same purpose.
I await the detail of the Commission working paper and possible proposals for EMFF amendment and will review the situation further at that point, with full regard to the trends in market prices for marine diesel.
869. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the quota allocated to the Irish fishing fleet in the French EEZ under the Common Fisheries Policy, by species, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16275/22]
View answerUnder the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), EU fishing fleets are given equal access to EU waters and fishing grounds subject to allocated fish quotas. There are derogations to this access rule, including restrictions on access to Member States' coastal waters.
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 - and not Member States' EEZs. Generally, most stock areas straddle more than one EEZ area. These stock areas can include Member States' EEZs, third countries' EEZs and international waters.
The share allocation of stocks between Member States was established as a principle of the first 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, based on 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 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.
Ireland has history of fishing for stocks in the some of the stock areas that incorporates part of France’s EEZ and accordingly has a quota share for these stocks. The details of these quotas are set out in the TAC and Quota Regulation each year.
870. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the quota allocated to the Irish fishing fleet in the Spanish EEZ under the Common Fisheries Policy, by species, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16276/22]
View answerUnder the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), EU fishing fleets are given equal access to EU waters and fishing grounds subject to allocated fish quotas. There are derogations to this access rule, including restrictions on access to Member States' coastal waters.
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 - and not Member States' EEZs. Generally, most stock areas straddle more than one EEZ area. These stock areas can include Member States' EEZs, third countries' EEZs and international waters.
The share allocation of stocks between Member States was established as a principle of the first 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, based on a special recognition agreement of the underdeveloped nature of the Irish fleet and the heavy control responsibility on us when Ireland joined the EU. Spain's quotas under the CFP were established by the Treaty of Accession 1985. The share out of Totally Allowable Catches (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.
Ireland does not have quota in Spanish waters, except for widely distributed stocks such as Mackerel and Albacore Tuna.
North-east Atlantic Mackerel is divided into a number of TAC areas. The Western Mackerel TAC, where Ireland has a large quota share, covers ICES area 6, 7, 8a, 8b, 8d and 8e, United Kingdom and International waters of 5b, and international waters of 2a, 12 and 14. This area includes part of the Spanish EEZ. Irish fishing vessels do not fish for mackerel in these southern waters.
The management area for Albacore Tuna covers the northern Atlantic Ocean, that is, the Atlantic north of the 5o N line. In recent years, the bulk of Irish catches of Albacore Tuna have been taken from ICES Division 8 (Bay of Biscay), which includes part of Spain's EEZ.
