Proposals for the introduction of mandatory privatisation of fish quotas, or Individual Transferable Quota's (ITQs), as part of a reformed Common Fisheries Policy pose, I strongly believe, a substantial threat to the future of Ireland's fisheries and broader seafood sector. In the context of determining Ireland's position, the Irish fishing industry has made clear and has re-affirmed to me directly at a recent meeting, that it opposes the introduction of an ITQ system for Irish fisheries management. This does not mean that there is not scope to amend current national quota management arrangement. I am fully open to proposals in this regard, with a view to giving industry a larger role.
Ireland is a small island nation, on the periphery of Europe, with the dependencies all islands have on the broader marine related sphere, of which fisheries is an integral and essential component. My overarching goal is for a sustainable, profitable and self reliant industry that protects and enhances the social and economic fabric of rural coastal communities dependent on the seafood sector, while balancing these objectives with the need to deliver a sustainable and eco centred fisheries landscape for future generations.
While ITQ's may work for some Member States, they are not, I believe, suitable for the unique dynamic in the Irish fishing sector, where we have a network of small rural coastal communities dependant on our fishing fleet, large and small, demersal and pelagic. The Irish fishing fleet is for the most part made up of family owned vessels with strong links to their home ports. These families have a long tradition in fishing with generations succeeding each other into the industry.
I have no doubt that if mandatory ITQs are put in place, our quotas for both whitefish and pelagic will be purchased by large European fishing conglomerates, with no socio or economic links to our ports, and landed elsewhere, with the resultant loss of jobs and economic activity around our coast. For Ireland, this scenario would, I consider, wipe out our national fishing industry and we will not get the benefit from the rich fisheries resources in the waters around our coasts.
To put in perspective much of the employment on shore in the seafood sector is generated by landings to Ireland by Irish vessels of all sizes. This activity delivers approximately 5,000 jobs in our fleet, with another 2,900 employed in our processing plants with around 1,200 employed in ancillary support industries. These jobs are dependent on Irish quotas being landed into Irish ports. Any change to this would seriously jeopardise the ongoing viability of these jobs with disastrous consequences. In any economic environment a risk of this magnitude to these opportunities cannot and will, most definitely, not be supported. I had the opportunity to meet with Commissioner Damanaki in Luxembourg on the 14 April, and ITQs were high on the agenda. She is now in no doubt as to my level of opposition to any such proposals, and while our meeting was both fruitful and productive on a number of fronts I expect some hard negotiations ahead before this issue is resolved.
I will of course continue to engage with the Federation of Irish Fishermen and other stakeholders over the coming months, to both strengthen my negotiating position but also to develop a multi pronged lobbying strategy in Europe to reinforce Ireland's stance, and garner support from other like-minded Member States.