Mr. Denis Maher:

Deputy Ferris makes the point well that bass fishing is taking place offshore in other countries. We are talking about two discrete stocks. The Irish stock of bass is very close to the coast, very vulnerable and very slow growing. Our advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, a scientific body that gives advice to every European country, is that the stock is discrete and is not the same as that fished further off the coast. The stock lives within our six mile and 12 mile limits. It is more vulnerable than the stock further out.