Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 May 2024
492. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the action he is taking to ensure equal representation on all national fisheries committees in order that they are inclusive of the inshore fishing community; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22870/24]
View answerThe National Inshore Fisheries Forum (NIFF) and its supporting network of six Regional Inshore Fisheries Forums are consultative bodies, established in 2014, to facilitate the development of a coherent inshore sector by encouraging inshore fishers to discuss their fishing issues and generate commonly supported initiatives. These structures have guided the development of industry-led proposals for the management of non-quota stocks within six nautical miles of the Irish shore. Since their inception, the Forums have developed initiatives to protect the future of the inshore sector. During the lifetime of this Government, two Producer Organisations have been guided to provide additional representation for inshore fishers to give them a stronger voice. My Department completed the formal recognition process of the Irish Islands Marine Resource Organisation (IIMRO) as an EU Producer Organisation that focuses on our offshore islands and that of the National Inshore Fishermen’s Association (NIFA) as an EU Producer Organisation for inshore fishers. Their recognition significantly improves the standing and advocacy of inshore fishers in sea-fisheries consultative processes, including the Quota Management Advisory Committee (QMAC).
The QMAC is a formal consultative committee, involving fishing industry representatives from the catching, inshore and processing sectors. NIFA, IIMRO and NIFF are members of the QMAC. The QMAC meets on a monthly basis to make recommendations to me as Minister on monthly/bi-monthly/quarterly regimes for particular stocks and industry representatives bring the benefit of their knowledge and experience of fishing to these discussions.
In addition to the QMAC, the Celtic Sea Herring Management Advisory Committee and the North West Herring Advisory Committee (NWHAC) were established to provide advice to me as Minister in relation to the management of these particular stocks and fisheries within the existing policy frameworks. The NWHAC membership framework encompasses IIMRO, NIFA and NIFF. The NIFF is represented on the Celtic Sea Herring Management Advisory Committee (CSHMAC) and I am also considering a request from NIFA to join this committee.
