I propose to take Questions Nos. 243 to 245, inclusive, together.
The Marine Institute is the national agency responsible for Marine Research. The agency publishes, on an annual basis, a Stock Book that sets out scientific data and advice on the state of fish stocks in Irish waters which are the subject of EU Total Allowable Catches (TACs) and quotas. The Institute also provides me with scientific advice on request throughout the year as required. Each December, the EU Council of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers agrees on the TACs and quotas for the following year taking account of the scientific advice available. However, there is a constant risk that these limits are not being respected. There has been a problem within the EU of persistent overfishing well in excess of quota by many types of vessels across Member States. The EU Commission estimates that 88% of EU stocks are over-exploited and Scientists have recommended closure of 19% of fisheries. These are worrying statistics and should make us all pause and take stock of the serious situation facing the fishing industry across Europe.
The EU Court of Auditors report in December 2007 highlighted this problem and identified substantial control failures across Member States. On foot of these findings, the European Commission introduced a number of regulations. The EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council of Ministers adopted a regulation in 2008 establishing a Community system to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which has applied from the 1st January 2010.
The Commission has also brought forward a proposal, establishing a Community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), to strengthen fisheries control across the EU, and this was adopted by the Agriculture and Fisheries Council of Ministers in November 2009. The main themes of their new approach are to ensure:
A new common approach to control and inspection. This involves a strong focus on inspections on shore based links in the supply chain whereby the owner of the fish must be able to produce documents proving that the product was caught in conformity with the rules and that it observes a principle of product traceability. It involves using best practices such as risk analysis, concentrating control on problematical fisheries and periods. It also involves the use of new technologies to ensure the maximum effective delivery.
The promotion of a culture of compliance with the rules. This involves a proposal for dissuasive and harmonised sanctions whereby a list of infringements is established together with a minimum fine applicable in all Member States. It also involves a points based system which may lead to the suspension of a fishing licence or its permanent withdrawal.
The proposal also strengthens the Commission's powers to guarantee common implementation of the Regulations and to intervene in case of poor application of control measures on the ground.
In the context of the current review of the CFP, which was initiated by the European Commission's Green Paper in April 2009, I will continue to play an active role in the ongoing negotiations over the coming months and reiterate our support for the greater use of long term and multi-annual management plans as tools to aid the recovery of stocks. A key focus for Ireland will be to ensure that appropriate measures are introduced to address the wasteful practice of discarding fish at sea.
Following a nationwide public consultation process, Ireland's Response to the Green Paper was issued on the 23rd of February. The report in its entirety, and all formal submissions received during the public consultation process, are available on www.fishingnet.ie. Ireland's response on the CFP reform sets down a number of informed recommendations which we believe must be incorporated into the new Common Fisheries Policy. They take a pragmatic approach, promoting measures that collectively take account of economic, social, environmental and sustainability factors important to the Irish seafood sector. The changes we consider necessary include:
Increasing industry responsibility by providing incentives for responsible fishing practices.
Put in place measures to develop a culture of compliance. Address hindrances to effective controls such as separate storage of species, routine exchange of detailed information on the entitlements of individual fisheries operating in Ireland's waters.
New regional structure to decision-making at EU level, with increasing industry responsibility and the development of a culture of compliance.
New focus on addressing discarding of fish at sea, with a complete ban being introduced for stocks in a depleted state;
Establishment of area-based, multi-annual fish stock management plans that embrace the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM), managing fisheries to limit their impact on the ecosystem.
Transition to a maximum sustainable yield (MSY) fisheries management framework on a multiannual phased basis to reach the 2015 target deadline. The implementation of any the MSY framework must be managed on a rational basis so that cuts to TACs are progressively introduced to limit any resulting socio-economic impacts.
Retain the system of Relative Stability and its attendant TACs & Quotas as the primary community mechanism to manage fish stocks while strongly opposing any attempt to introduce any arrangement that leads — either directly or indirectly — to privatisation of national ‘public resource' fish quotas.
Use effort restrictions as a management tool on a limited basis, but only as part of a management regime that derives primarily from TAC and quota limits. These would involve setting a ceiling on activity levels in an area as a secondary support to the more detailed TAC and quota regime.
Support the continuation and strengthening of measures to protect the Biologically Sensitive Area (BSA), which is situated off the west and south coasts of Ireland and contains spawning and nursery grounds for important north-east Atlantic fish species.
Extension of the 6-12 mile limit to 10-20 miles whereby the access rules currently applicable to the 6 mile zone will be extended to 10 miles and the rules for the 6-12 mile zone will be applicable in the 10-20 mile zone. Furthermore, any such extension would facilitate the introduction of management measures including restrictions on the type and intensity of fishing activity within the zone in order to protect local coastal communities' dependant on inshore coastal fisheries.
Consultation at European level on the CFP review is ongoing, with a variety of meetings being held, including a stakeholders' conference and an informal meeting of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers to discuss the reform, both of which were held in Spain at the start of May. In addition, Minister Connick met Maria Damanaki, the new EU Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, in March 2010 to discuss Ireland's Response to the Commission's Green Paper. Under the planned EU timetable for the review, a summary of the consultation process has been published. It will be followed by a legislative proposal to the Council and the European Parliament to be adopted in 2011, with a view to its entering into force in 2012. A working document concerning reform options is being prepared by the Commission and is expected to be presented at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council scheduled for the 28th and 29th June 2010.
Nationally, Minister Connick will continue close collaboration with the Federation of Irish Fishermen and the other stakeholders to put Ireland's case forward during the review, to vigorously defend Ireland's maritime interests, and to convince our colleagues in other Member States and in the Commission to strengthen the current policy in line with Ireland's submission on the reform of the CFP. As a coastal state with responsibility for protecting some of the richest fishing ground in the EU and with a fishing industry almost completely dependent on sustainable fish stocks in our own waters, it is of the highest priority that there are effective management and control regimes in place across all Member States. I firmly believe that we must put a stop to illegal fishing which will, if left unchecked, destroy fish stocks and the livelihoods of coastal communities around our coast dependent on fishing.