Vol. 577 No. 4
66 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the member states of the EU, other than Ireland, that preclude registered fishing vessels with active pelagic fisheries entitlements from installing and using refrigerated salt water tanks and or slush ice systems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31244/03]
Responsibility for fleet management within an overall EU policy framework is delegated to member states. I do not have details of the various systems that apply in each member state which do not, in any case, have any particular relevance for Ireland's situation.
Under the EU fleet management framework which was in place up to 31 December 2002, member states' fleets were divided at EU level into fleet segments, taking account of factors including, inter alia, fishing activities, fishing gear and vessel size. Under the EU framework for the period 1997-2002, multi-annual guidance programme IV, the Irish fleet comprised three fleet segments, the refrigerated sea water, RSW, pelagic segment, the polyvalent segment and the beamer segment, and capacity limits were set for each segment. Other member states' fleets were segmented, taking account of each member state's own particular situation and its objectives for its fishing fleets and fishing industries.
In December 2002, a new legal framework for the Common Fisheries Policy, Council Regulation 2371/2002, was adopted by the Fisheries Council, which sets out a new EU fleet policy. This regulation establishes overall capacity limits for each member states fleet and does away with the previous capacity limits established for individual fleet segments. It is a matter for each member state to determine, at national level, the policy that is appropriate for its fleet, taking account of its own situation. The approach taken by other member states does not have any particular implications for Irish fleet policy.
