Written Answers. - Fish Stocks.
Bernard J. Durkan
Ceist:
121
Mr. Durkan
asked the
Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources
whether adequacy of supply of fish can be assured in the future within the European Union based on current fish stocks; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[22139/98]
Current fish landings within the EU are insufficient to meet the European Community's consumer and processing industry demand. The Community is, therefore, heavily dependent on imported fish to meet domestic demand and is, in fact, the world's largest importer of edible fish products. It is unlikely that the level of EU landings and-or consumer preferences will change to such an extent as to diminish greatly this dependency and the Community will remain, therefore, a net importer of fisheries products.
The level of future fish landings is dependent on a range of factors, such as trade liberalisation, the globalisation of the world market, consumer preferences etc., which influence supply. The Deputy refers specifically to the status of fish stocks as a determinant of supply.
The status of the main commercially exploited stocks of fish within EU waters generally is assessed annually by the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas, ICES. ICES's Advisory Committee on Fisheries Management, ACFM, reviews the reports of the various working groups and a composite report is subsequently presented to the European Community's Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries, STECF. I understand that the various ICES working groups have completed their 1998 deliberations and that the ACFM and STECF will commence their reviews shortly. These reviews provide forecasts of future stock levels on the basis of which future landings can be estimated.
As the EU is a net importer of fish products, future fish supplies to the community will also depend on the status of fish stocks in non-EU waters. A number of international fisheries organisations, such as the North Atlantic Fisheries Organisation, NAFO, the North East Atlantic Fisheries Organisation, NEAFC, and the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna, ICCAT, also carry out stock assessments and these need to be considered in any examination of future landings.
I have asked the Fisheries Research Centre of the Marine Institute to prepare, on the basis of the ICES and STECF reports, a summary review of the status of all fish stocks of interest to Ireland. I will arrange for a copy of that review to be made available to the Deputy together with information on stocks outside EU waters.
The Deputy may wish to be aware that rules introduced under the Common Fisheries Policy are designed to ensure a steady supply of fisheries products. Under these rules the EC operates an intervention system to support prices in Community markets and to regulate the disparities between supply and demand. These intervention mechanisms include financial compensation for the withdrawal from sale of products the prices for which reach or fall below the withdrawal level, special financial compensation for exceptionally large withdrawals and carry-over aid in respect of the temporary withdrawal of products from the market. The Community also uses a system of preferential tariffs to ensure continuity of supply.
