Vol. 568 No. 2
88 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the concerns expressed by representative organisations that the latest EU proposals on cod could result in much of the Irish Sea fleet being tied up; the steps he intends to take to address these concerns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15918/03]
I am fully aware of the concerns of fishermen in relation to the new Commission proposals for Irish Sea cod. The Commission's long-term proposals for cod recovery, which were published in May, cover cod in the Irish Sea. These proposals involve the application of effort regimes – limits on the number of days fishing boats may spend at sea.
The Commission proposed an effort regime for Irish Sea cod in the proposals brought forward in December 2001. During the protracted and difficult discussions leading to the adoption of a days-at-sea regime for some cod stocks in December 2002, I successfully argued for the exclusion of the Irish Sea cod stock from any effort regime. This was on the basis that a recovery plan based on closed areas to protect the cod spawning stock and other technical measures was in place and was working. This approach had been developed following detailed consultation with industry representatives. It is an effective regime that will deliver stock recovery in the medium term.
