Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 March 2023
372. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he intends to introduce regulations on limiting the number of pots under each licence held by inshore fishermen around the coast. [12171/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Irish inshore fishing fleet consists of fishing boats of less than 12 metres overall length and covers in the region of 1,700 fishing boats which are mainly active within six nautical miles of the shore. Lobster and crab are particularly important species for the inshore fishing fleet and are fished predominantly using pots right around the coast. Any Irish sea-fishing boat with the appropriate licence conditions is eligible to fish for such species.
The Fisheries (Amendment) Act 2003 transferred the functions of sea-fishing boat licensing to the Licensing Authority for Sea-fishing Boats, which operates on an independent basis subject to criteria set out in that Act and Ministerial Policy Directives. The Licensing Authority is the Registrar General of Fishing Boats, an official of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine or, under the superintendence of the Registrar General, the Deputy Registrar General of Fishing Boats. All applications for sea-fishing boat licences are considered by the Licensing Authority.
Generally, pot fishing is considered to be sustainable as it is a selective method of fishing which makes it possible to return undersized species to the sea alive. However, regulations were introduced in 2016 (S.I. No. 31/2016 - Non-Commercial Pot Fishing (Lobster and Crab) Regulations) to protect the licensed fishing industry which had faced increased competition from non-commercial or recreational fishers and to help to ensure the sustainability of these stocks. Under these regulations, any member of the public, fishing for lobster and crab can only fish from 1st May to 30th September each year and are limited in the number of pots that can be fished. Non-commercial or recreational fishers can fish up to six pots, and can retain five crabs and one lobster daily. In addition, such fishers are not permitted to sell their catches.
I can assure the Deputy that I remain acutely conscious of the importance of sustainable inshore fisheries and balancing this with safeguarding fishing-related livelihoods and protecting the marine environment. The National and Regional Inshore Fora were established to provide, among other things, a mechanism for inshore fishers to discuss and identify a variety of sustainable management measures for inshore stocks I would encourage fishers to bring suggestions and initiatives for the sustainable management of inshore stocks to the attention of their local Regional Inshore Fisheries Forum. Information regarding the Forums, including contact details, is available at the Forums' dedicated website: inshoreforums.ie/
