Total allowable catches, TACs, for the various fish stocks are established each December by the Council of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers, taking account of scientific advice provided by fisheries biologists on the state of the stocks. The 2004 white fish and pelagic quotas were established during the Council meeting in December 2003. The 2004 deep sea quotas, subject to separate negotiations, were set down in December 2002. Ireland secured national quotas for 2004 that amounted to more than 200,000 tonnes, including deep sea species. Most of these quotas relate to the waters around Ireland.
The Atlantic Ocean, Irish Sea and other areas are divided into fishing zones defined by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, ICES, based on scientific data about fish stocks. I will send the Deputy a detailed list of the Irish quotas in these fishing zones together with an associated map.