Vol. 540 No. 1
167 Mr. Sheehan asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the reason a person (details supplied) in County Cork was refused a Celtic Sea herring licence; and the steps she will take to restore this person's Celtic Sea herring licence. [19929/01]
The EU multi-annual guidance programme for Ireland covering the period to 2001 prescribes the maximum permissible capacity, in terms of tonnage and engine power, for the Irish fishing fleet. To ensure compliance with these limits, fishing vessel licensing policy requires a licence applicant to remove from the sea fishing boat register tonnage and engine power equal to that of the vessel to be licensed.
If a licence applicant wishes his or her vessel to be permitted to fish for herring and mackerel, the capacity removed from the sea fishing boat register must have an active history of fishing for these pelagic species. For these purposes, an active history is defined as a minimum of four months fishing for those species in each of the last four years.
The capacity removed from the register by the individual concerned does not, according to my Department's records, have a full active history. In the circumstances, the vessel must be precluded from fishing for herring and mackerel.
It has been represented to me that this criterion may be excessively onerous and that this is posing difficulties for fishermen who wish to acquire active pelagic capacity in fulfilment of licensing requirements. The scope for change to the existing requirements and the implications of any change is under review in consultation with fishermen's representative organisations.
