Update: Development of the Fishing Industry, 2nd July 2015

Parliamentary Question No. 128  
 
 
 
 
To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied regarding the development of the fishing industry here in the wake of revised EU agreements, quotas and fishing practices; if he expects families dependent on the fishing industry to continue to achieve a reasonable return for their efforts and investment; and if he will make a statement on the matter.  

– Bernard J. Durkan.  
 

 
For WRITTEN answer on Wednesday, 1st July, 2015.  
 
Ref No: 26653/15 Proof: 132
 
 

REPLY  
 

The Minister for Agriculture, Food      and the Marine  : (Simon Coveney)  

The new Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) provides the framework for the long term sustainability of fish stocks around our shores and the continued economic viability of our fishing fleet and fish processing industry while supporting our families and communities that depend on the sea for their livelihood.  
 
A key element of the new CFP is the setting of fishing levels on the basis of MSY (Maximum Sustainable Yield). This should lead over time to healthy fish stocks, higher quotas for both Irish and EU fishermen and result in more sustainable fishing patterns. The new Common Fisheries Policy specifically calls for the progressive restoration and maintenance of populations of fish stocks above biomass levels capable of producing MSY. I am committed to the ambitious objective of achieving MSY by 2015 where possible and by 2020 at the latest. As president of the Council during the CFP negotiations it fell to me to broker an agreement on this important issue between the co-legislators. In line with the CFP, I consider that for some stocks we will need to phase in delivering MSY if its immediate application seriously jeopardises the social and economic sustainability of the fishing fleet. The TACs and quotas for 2015, as agreed at the December Agriculture & Fisheries Council of Ministers meeting, take account of delivering MSY for 2015 where possible and on a progressive, incremental basis at the latest by 2020 for all stocks.  
 
Another key element of the new CFP is the introduction of a regionalised decision-making process. This gives Member States greater power to make decisions on the management of their own fish stocks and moves away from the former “one size fits all” approach. Ireland is a member of the North Western Waters Group along with Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK.  
 
The phased introduction of a landing obligation/discarding ban, as set out in the CFP, represents a fundamental shift in fisheries policy and fishing practices. A discards plan for pelagic stocks in North Western Waters, developed by Ireland and the other Member States of the North Western Waters Group in consultation with the Advisory Council, has been in place since the 1^st  January 2015.
 
An agreement among the North Western Waters Group on a discard plan for certain demersal stocks (whitefish and prawns) was recently brokered by Ireland. The ban on discarding will be extended to prawns (nephrops) in all waters around Ireland, whiting in the Celtic Sea and haddock in the Irish Sea and in the North West area from the 1^st  January 2016. The landing obligation will be rolled out to other fisheries over the period to 2019 when it will apply to all stocks.
 
The work on the discard plan was carried out in close consultation with the North Western Waters Advisory Council. It is expected that over time the landing obligation will lead to an improvement in the state of the stocks of importance to Ireland and will result in increased fishing opportunities for the Irish fishing industry.  
 
From the outset of the Common Fisheries Policy revision process, Ireland’s overarching goal was to ensure 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 safeguard fish stocks for future generations. This will ensure that families dependent on fishing can look forward to being part of a vibrant, productive and resilient Irish fishing industry and can expect to continue to achieve a reasonable return for their efforts and investment.