Go raibh míle maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. Ba mhaith liom buíochas a gabháil leatsa as cead a thabhairt dom an cheist seo a ordú ar an Athló. I raise the matter of fish stocks taken from Irish waters by non-Irish trawlers to focus attention on the importance of this industry, which has been much neglected down the years, and also to put in perspective the wealth which has left Ireland at a time when the Government tells us to appreciate and be grateful for the funding we receive from other EU member states.
The reality is that fish worth €2,500 million are taken from Irish waters by EU boats every year. Ireland's share is only €127 million. Ireland has 16% of EU waters and only 4% of the EU quota. In effect, this country is giving €2,400 million in what could be called structural aid to our EU partners every year. It is important to tell the people these facts. The sea is Ireland's forgotten territory and our forgotten resource. We are told by our EU colleagues that we have done well out of our membership. This is true, but they have also done well out of our membership when the wealth taken from Irish waters every year since 1973 is taken into consideration.
Over-fishing of Irish waters risks making this renewable resource extinct. I urge the Government to pay attention to the worrying signs of scarcity of fish resources in the Bay of Biscay and off Spain at present. French and Spanish trawlers may be prohibited from fishing in several offshore spawning grounds to allow fish recovery. This is wise, but the knock-on effect of such restrictions would be to encourage more non-Irish boats into Irish waters, including the Irish Sea, where many of my constituents earn their livelihoods. The closure of spawning grounds has been successful in the Irish Sea and a slow recovery in numbers of cod and hake has been noted. However, the cod box needs to be kept closed to ensure continuing recovery of fish stocks, which are very vulnerable to the larger trawlers now to be seen in the Irish Sea.
It appears that no limit has been put on the size of trawlers. However, I recall that in the 1980s a maximum length of 90 ft was prescribed for trawlers in the Irish Sea. If the Government has any interest in the future of our fishing industry, such a limit needs to be enforced once again. Rules and limits are useless unless they are enforced. The rules on net size, logging of catches and by-catches and areas for fishing are not being properly observed. Fishery protection vessels and air support are also in need of greater investment. Otherwise, the Government will continue to spawn not more fishing but a culture of law-breaking and the death of the Irish fishing industry. The Government has got off to a bad start with the marine sector by dropping the title of Minister for the Marine. If it is to regain any respect it needs to apply itself to favour smaller trawlers and discourage monster boats such as the Atlantic Dawn, the EU registration of which defies logic and explanation. We need to enforce regulations to ensure fairness for all and provide facilities at harbours for proper waste separation and collection of oil, machinery and other materials.
Most fishermen now see the benefit and the necessity of conservation measures. They have yet to see any practical commitment from the Government or any indication that it is aware of the wealth from Irish waters that goes to other EU members and that it is determined to conserve and manage this wealth in a way that ensures that it is renewable and available to this and future generations of Irish fishermen and women.
The neglect by the Government of the marine environment is very obvious when one observes our harbours, especially those in Dublin North. Not only are there few facilities in Balbriggan, Skerries, Loughshinny, Rush and Rogerstown, but wrecks lie abandoned, posing serious safety hazards for other boats navigating the harbours, especially in Balbriggan, and also for children who are attracted to wrecks lying off the harbour wall. The Government talks of rail and road safety. It is high time we saw action on harbour safety. Proper facilities in our harbours would indicate our awareness of our island status as a nation. Safety at sea is also a growing concern as trawlers are forced to travel longer hours and longer distances to catch the dwindling stocks which could formerly be caught closer to shore. The marine sector could be self-financing if it was managed in a sustainable and expert way. I urge the Government to reflect on the way the sector has been bankrolling Ireland's membership of the EU and to repay it with policies to ensure that it thrives.
