Lobster fishing is an important economic activity in coastal fishing communities all around Ireland. Stock advice is available online in the Shellfish Stocks and Fisheries Review, prepared by the Marine Institute (MI) and an Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM). According to the 2012 Review, some 1,700 boats, approximately three quarters of the Irish fleet, participated in the fishery between April and October 2012 on all Irish coasts. Any changes to the management of this fishery are therefore given careful consideration prior to enactment. The Lobster (Conservation of Stocks) Regulations 2014 (S.I. 591 of 2014), which I signed into law in December 2014, concluded the roll-out of changes to lobster conservation measures which I had announced in May 2014. The regulations replace and revoke previous regulations with the objective of supporting the reproductive potential of the stock. In that regard, I am conscious of my responsibilities under the Common Fisheries Policy to strive for sustainable inshore fisheries in the long term.
The package of enhanced conservation measures I announced in May 2014 were approved following the consideration of over 250 submissions received during an extensive public consultation on the lobster fisheries. These submissions were reviewed in light of scientific advice and information on the status of the fisheries. The changes to the lobster management measures are aimed at ensuring the long-term viability of this stock by protecting its reproductive potential. The most recent stock advice from the Shellfish Stocks and Fisheries Review 2012 noted that the egg production level for the stock is estimated to be below generally accepted limit reference points. The measures which now apply to the lobster fishery include:
- Continued legal protection in the aforementioned regulations for lobsters v-notched under an incentivised National Lobster V-Notching Programme which provides financial support for fishermen engaged in conservation practice of v-notching live lobsters and returning them to sea to contribute to the reproductive capacity of the stock;
- The introduction of a new maximum landing size for lobster of 127mm, which took effect from 1 January 2015 through the aforementioned regulations;
- An increase in grant aid to fishermen for the voluntary v-notching of lobsters from the existing rate of 55% to a new maximum of 75% of the market price;
- Transitional arrangements that provide fishermen with grant aid of up to 75% of the market price for v-notching oversize lobsters and returning them alive to sea during the first two years of the maximum landing size measure;
- EU regulations prohibiting the landing of lobsters of less than 87mm in carapace length.
The new maximum landing size measure is expected to be less economically penalising than other possible alternative measures and particularly when provided with financial support under the v-notching programme during the transitional arrangements. Data from the catch and effort indicators from data collection initiatives conducted by MI and BIM indicates that in the period 2009-2012, the proportion of commercial sized non-v-notched lobsters over 127 mm varied from 0.9 to 2.3%. I am advised by the Marine Institute that a number of factors point to the conservation value of protecting large lobsters including the far higher number of eggs produced; spawning frequency may be higher in large lobsters as growth and moulting slows down and low natural mortality with lobsters living for more than 30 years and producing more eggs as they get larger.
I established the National Inshore Fisheries Forum (NIFF) specifically to give inshore fishermen a voice in policy making and decisions on inshore fisheries management and to work with the Department and the marine agencies in developing robust, scientifically sound measures to support sustainable fisheries into the future. The first meeting of the NIFF took place on 15 January and the delegates shared fisheries experiences in their different regions and identified a number of common challenges which hampered the development of long-term sustainable lobster fisheries.
At the meeting I was pleased to have the opportunity to brief the delegates on the upsurge in v-notching of lobsters since my announcement to increase financial support up to a maximum of 75% in May 2014 and I committed to monitoring the impact of the new maximum landing size through the v-notching programme. The national figures for 2014 record an increase of 19,000 lobsters presented for v-notching, over twice the number conserved in 2013, and over €230,000 was provided to fishermen in financial support. I advised delegates of scientific advice from the Marine Institute on the reproductive value of large lobsters to contribute to sustainable stocks. I believe that the figures for 2015 programme will provide a useful dataset from which the impact of the new measures can begin to be assessed. I have invited the delegates to bring forward proposals from their respective Regional Inshore Fisheries Forums on how some of the specific challenges faced by this fishery could be addressed, including projects which could be funded under the forthcoming EMFF operational programme, for discussion at the next NIFF meeting.
