Dr. Paul Connolly:

I thank the committee for inviting me today. I have prepared some slides to go with my opening statement from the Marine Institute. The ocean economy is very important to island communities and it is broad and diverse. I will focus on the work we do at the Marine Institute to provide scientific advice on the sustainable exploitation of the marine fisheries resource.

The seafood sector in Europe is big business. It employes 141,000 people and has a fleet of 85,000 vessels. The catch sector is worth approximately €7.7 billion. One important point about this industry is that it is centred on the coastal communities of Europe. We can get a picture of the importance of the industry if we consider its value. It is up there between Coca-Cola and Google. More important, it is focused on coastal communities.

The science that supports this industry is important as well. We have data collection in Europe that is worth €57 million annually, and approximately €190 million is spent annually on fisheries research throughout Europe. There is a large research vessel fleet, and many scientists and laboratories work on the bedrock of the seafood industry, the fisheries resource. Another important point about the seafood industry and the fisheries resource is the vast demand for seafood, and that demand is growing.

The waters around Ireland are some of the most productive fishing grounds in the world. Fleets from Ireland, France, Spain and the UK are fishing in the waters around Ireland. The diagram shows the various fleets operating in the waters around Ireland. I draw the committee's attention to the Irish Sea and the concentration of green spots near Dundalk Bay, the nephrops fishing grounds. They are really important fishing grounds for the Irish fleet operating out of Howth, Skerries and right up to Clogherhead. An analysis of the data from the vessels gives an indication of where the important fishing grounds are located. It is important to manage these fishing grounds and to get a handle on the size of the stock and to give advice on what can be taken out of that stock if we are to exploit our stocks sustainably.

In terms of giving scientific advice on our resource, the Marine Institute produces two annual publications. The first is the stock book, an annual review of fish stocks, which gives scientific advice on the resources taken from the waters around Ireland. It is an international fishery and 1 million tonnes of fish are taken annually from that area, worth about €1 billion. Of that, Ireland takes about 246,000 tonnes worth €209 million. This is a very important part of the economies of coastal communities in Ireland.

The main species are the mackerel, worth €72 million, horse mackerel, worth €33 million, and prawns, worth €33 million. With our colleagues in BIM we also produce shellfish stocks and fisheries review which looks at more inshore stocks that are not party to the Common Fisheries Policy. These are important resources. Crab is worth €12.8 million, scallop is worth €11.6 million, and lobster is worth €6.6 million. Producing scientific advice on all these stocks is important to ensure their sustainable exploitation. The policy landscape in which fisheries operate is very important. Increasingly, the policy landscape is changing. There is the EU maritime policy, the Atlantic strategy, Marine Knowledge 2020, Horizon 2020, the European Marine and Fisheries Fund, and Natura 2000. There is no more environmental legislation that has impacted fisheries, particularly inshore fisheries, than Natura 2000. Given the sensitive habitats around our coasts, it is important to protect them and develop fisheries management plans that recognise these sensitive areas. Working with industry is important in developing these plans.

The marine strategy framework directive is new environmental legislation that will impact on fisheries. The concept of maximum sustainable yield has come in recently. This will ensure stocks are exploited while maintaining their sustainability. Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy is taking place. A new data collection framework is coming on stream and a new ecosystem approach is being enshrined in the Common Fisheries Policy, all of which are important in terms of framing inshore and CFP fisheries into the future.

The last slide deals with Ireland as an island nation. Ireland has a sea to land ratio of 10:1. In the past our island status, being on the periphery of Europe, was seen as negative. In Harnessing our Ocean Wealth, an integrated marine plan for Ireland, it is seen as something positive. Targets are set in the new maritime policy for Ireland to increase the turnover from the ocean economy to €6.4 billion and to increase our GDP from the ocean economy to 2.4% by 2030. There is great potential in the ocean for fishing, shipping, aquaculture, renewable energy, oil and gas, and tourism and leisure. By developing this plan we can harness and optimise that potential. If there is one thing I would pick out in terms of science and optimising the use of the ocean around Ireland, it is the concept of marine spatial planning; that is looking at the ocean as it is and its users and trying to manage them and minimise any conflict.