Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 1 June 2023
277. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department has examined introducing a subsidised scheme for the introduction of an automatic identification system or vessel monitoring system for the Irish inshore fishing fleet; the estimated cost of such a scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26867/23]
View answerAs the Deputy may be aware, the Irish inshore fishing fleet comprises Irish-registered sea-fishing boats of less than 12 metres in overall length. Such boats are not required by EU legislation to have a Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) fitted onboard.
There is national legislation in place that requires sea-fishing boats to have installed onboard fully functioning GPS (Global Positioning System) units for monitoring purposes when fishing for certain inshore stocks or in particular conservation areas. I am advised that GPS monitoring units have been provided to vessel owners in the above circumstances through a pilot project run by the Marine Institute which has been funded under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund.
Information gathered by the pilot project will inform the future development of vessel monitoring options for the inshore fishing fleet.
