Dáil Éireann díospóireacht - Wednesday, 3 Jul 1996

Written Answers. - Lassen Report on Fishing.

Máirín Quill

Ceist:

38 Miss Quill asked the Minister for the Marine in the recent EC Lassen report concerned with the future multiannual guidance programme, Ireland states that our current pelagic tonnage is 16,219 tonnes for 18 vessels and in view of the fact that this figure is at variance with other pelagic tonnage figures in the public domain, if he will clarify the issue and give details of the tonnage of each of these 18 vessels. [14447/96]

Minister for the Marine (Mr. Barrett)

I can advise the Deputy that the tonnage figure quoted for the Irish pelagic fleet in the Lassen report was the correct figure at the time the report was compiled earlier this year. The data used for the Irish fleet information in the Lassen report was derived from the Department's own vessel registry data base as of 31 January 1996. The figure quoted therefore is a specific snapshot in time. This reflects the fact that tonnage statistics are not constant but rather evolve upwards and downwards over a given period as vessels move on and off the Register. There is nothing unusual about this as all national fleet registers throughout the EU will show similar fluctuations. I am forwarding the breakdown of figures requested directly to the Deputy.

The Irish pelagic fleet has undergone fundamental renewal and replacement over recent years and is now the most modern and efficient in the fleet and indeed one of the most modern fleets in Europe. The modernisation process has involved significant investment by the sector in new vessels equipped with the latest electronics and refrigerated saltwater tanks. The pelagic fleet fishes for mackerel and herring as well as non quota species such as horse mackerel in EU waters and is actively pursuing new opportunities in international waters. The modernisation programme has been a very positive development and has been achieved within the context of delivering on our mandatory EU tonnage target for the segment by the end of this year. I can advise the Deputy that since January, two additional new pelagic boats, replacing older vessels, have been added to the Register and another will be registered shortly which will bring total pelagic tonnage in line with the objective of 19,500 tonnes by end 1996.

As the Deputy is aware, the report by the Expert Group, chaired by Professor Lassen of Denmark, was prepared for the EU Commission in order to inform proposals on the next multi annual guidance programme for the fishing fleets of member states. The scientific experts, including an Irish fishery scientist, reviewed the state of fish stocks available to the EU, assessed the fleets of all member states and advised on the levels of fishing exploitation which in the group's view must be aimed for in order to secure the viability of stocks. The Lassen report makes sobering reading and underlines the need for appropriate measures on all fronts to tackle overfishing, to conserve stocks and to ensure an economic future for the EU fishing sector.

I have already publicly stated, however, that the Commission's proposals to achieve this by global cuts of up to 40 per cent in EU fleet tonnage are totally unacceptable to Ireland's specific situation. The conclusions of the Lassen report actually bear out, in my view, the Irish case that getting the balance right between the EU fleet and available resources involves a much wider range of factors than capacity control. Fishing methods, conservation and control and enforcement must be taken into account also together with the particular needs and position of national fleets. I have also drawn the Commission's attention to the high levels of effort exerted by other fleets on the fish stocks under pressure in the Irish EEZ including the activities of flagships which has to be addressed in devising solutions to the overfishing problem.