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Fishing Industry Development.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 February 2005

Tuesday, 8 February 2005

Ceisteanna (137)

Dinny McGinley

Ceist:

146 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the depressed state of the fishing industry in County Donegal, particularly in Killybegs; and his plans to improve the deteriorating situation. [3362/05]

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Freagraí scríofa

For many years, County Donegal, and in particular the Killybegs area, has been to the forefront of the Irish fishing industry, which has been a vital source of permanent and seasonal employment opportunities in coastal communities, as well as boosting the local economy through ancillary industries. Notwithstanding recent difficulties, I believe it will maintain this pre-eminent position in the future and remain an economic lynchpin of the area.

The fishing industry in Europe and elsewhere is generally experiencing some difficulties at the present time with a number of fish stocks. The primary challenge facing the fishing industry concerns the need for effective conservation measures to provide for the sustainable exploitation of these stocks into the future. The industry in Donegal is significantly based on pelagic stocks. While the Irish quota for mackerel has been reduced for 2005, I secured a substantial increase in the quota for blue whiting on top of the increase achieved for 2004. I have asked BIM to work closely with the industry to develop a significant human consumption market for vessels landing blue whiting into Irish ports to maximise the benefits of this fishery.

EU measures to strengthen control in pelagic fisheries introduced in 2004 as a consequence of concerns about illegal landings right across Europe will continue this year. The effective implementation of these measures is critical to ensure the medium to long-term sustainability of fish stocks and to maximise the market prices for vessel owners respecting quota allocations.

Quotas for demersal species in area VI, north-west coast, have been declining over more than a decade. A long-term cod recovery plan was introduced in 2004 to promote recovery of the cod stock in this area. The recovery plan, allied to the industry led initiative involving the closure of codling fishing grounds off the Greencastle coast in County Donegal, which were introduced in 2003, will help rebuild this stock and will also contribute to the recovery of the whitefish stocks under pressure in this area.

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