The EU Commission on 31 January last formally adopted its decision to amend Ireland's MGP. The decision credits the Irish pelagic segment with increased capacity and effort to take account of additional fishing opportunities in Mauritanian and other West African waters. This follows the successful conclusion of negotiations with the Commission and has enabled the Atlantic Dawn to be fully licensed and registered as part of the Irish pelagic fleet. The Atlantic Dawn was officially registered on the EU fishing fleet registry last week. As part of the overall agreement the Atlantic Dawn Company has permanently withdrawn the MFV Veronica from the Irish-EU fishing fleet. This represents a significant contribution by the company to resolving the outstanding power over-capacity in the Irish pelagic segment. The Commission's agreement to facilitate the introduction of the Atlantic Dawn was subject to resolution of the over-capacity problem in the pelagic segment.
As part of the overall package, the company retains its annual quota and fishing effort entitlements in EU waters associated with the Veronica. The company will utilise the Atlantic Dawn to take up those entitlements within Ireland's pelagic fishing effort objectives for EU waters which remain unchanged. The company will continue to primarily focus its attention on developing sustainable fishing opportunities outside the EU and positioning itself as a successful player in the international seafood market.
The outcome of these prolonged and complex negotiations is a satisfactory and balanced agreement. I welcome the Commission's decision as an acknowledgement of the legitimate potential of the Irish fishing industry to develop sustainable fishing opportunities at international level. These have traditionally been the preserve of other EU and third country players. I stress that the involvement of Irish and other EU fishing vessels in the fisheries of developing countries must be based on sustainability of the fish stocks in question as well as those of the indigenous communities. I fully agree with the Commission on the need for close alignment between fisheries policy objectives and development policy aims. In that context, I welcome the fact that the EU's Fishing Agreement with the Republic of Mauritania has set up a joint scientific committee which is monitoring closely the situation of pelagic stocks.