Pádraic McCormack
Ceist:32 Mr. McCormack asked the Minister for the Marine if fish companies can lease capacity to another company and then apply for extra tonnage to his Department.
Written Answers. - Sea Fishing Boat Licences.
Sea fishing boat licences are generally only issued, where an applicant removes tonnage and horsepower from the current sea fishing boat register of at least equal capacity to the tonnage and horsepower of the boat being proposed for introduction to the fleet.
A fisherman may therefore remove his vessel from the register, and use the tonnage and horsepower of that vessel to bring a replacement vessel into the fleet. Alternatively, the fisherman may, subject to the approval to the Minister, choose to sell the tonnage and horsepower of the vessel removed from the register to another fisherman, so that the tonnage and horsepower could then be used by that fisherman to facilitate the introduction of a new fishing vessel into the fleet.
The type of arrangement queried by the Deputy does not comply with current replacement policy and would not be acceptable.