Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That is a separate issue and the Deputy knows my position on it. In my view, one of the reasons the TAC was so high last year was to try to get political agreement on accommodating the Faroes and Iceland. I was fundamentally opposed to that deal and still am, but we should not forget it was a two-year deal that needs to be reviewed at the end of next year and we will be making our point then. For next year, the agreement is almost 90,000 tonnes and it was actually the Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation that said it was the highest since 1987. Many in the mackerel industry do not want higher quotas because they would cause a lot more mackerel to be caught - potentially unsustainably - particularly given the fact that the Russian market is closed at the moment. Making sure that we have strong demand for what we are producing is also important as long as there is reasonable volume, which there certainly is next year.

A reduction is also proposed for herring in the Celtic Sea, but a very responsible approach to management of herring has resulted in a very healthy fishery there. I think we will see temporary reductions followed by the stock growing again. Our industry has taken a realistic and very responsible approach. When there is real science that suggests action is needed, by and large they accept that, but when the science is flimsy and can be contested or when we have new science that paints a better picture, as we hope will be the case with the Celtic Sea, they expect me to make that argument very aggressively, and I will. I feel a huge responsibility towards this industry. Over the last three Decembers we have shown a willingness to fight very hard for the industry but also to do what is responsible in terms of the science that is available.

I met the new French fisheries minister and the French are a very important ally on some fisheries, particularly for the Celtic Sea because we share that fishery with them along with the UK. We have already had a detailed discussion of the new science that is available. They are also doing some science in the Celtic Sea about cod, haddock and whiting. We are also trying collectively to agree on the technical conservation measures we can introduce there to maintain quotas at an acceptable level. That conversation will continue in the Council.