Trevor Ó Clochartaigh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank Dr. Steele for her presentation.

I have raised the issue of factory ships with previous witnesses because fishermen constantly raised it with me. How does the authority police factory ships? Is policing only done when a catch is brought ashore? If so, how does the authority monitor what happens on the ship? How does it monitor the amount of fish that is taken on board? Can it monitor whether fish has been dumped? Can it follow ships and identify whether dead fish or the wrong grades of fish have been dumped? Do members of the authority board ships to grade fish that are being processed?

Dr. Steele mentioned that Irish fishermen seek a fair playing field. The fishermen that I have spoken to do not feel there is a fair playing field. They feel that they have been asked to play strictly by the rules. There is a sense that bigger factory ships get away with murder and are not policed to the same level as Irish vessels. I am aware of only one factory ship that berthed in Killybegs being fully inspected. Perhaps there are more instances of factory ships being inspected. I ask the delegation to outline in more detail how its members police a ship that is processing as its moving and fishing because such ships do not necessarily need to land a catch.

Has the SFPA been asked to comment on the Maritime Area and Foreshore (Amendment) Bill? Has the authority made any proposals to the Department in respect of the Bill? There is another Bill entitled the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction (Fixed Penalty Notice) Bill. The authority works the system of compliance. What improvements would it recommend for inclusion in legislation?

Dr. Steele mentioned prosecutions. How many prosecutions have reached the courts since the authority's establishment in 2006? How many prosecutions were challenged? How many court cases were lost by the SFPA? Was a cost incurred in losing the court cases?

People who work in the industry have told me that anyone who challenges the system and challenges prosecutions being brought against them seem to be targeted for more common inspections after the fact. How does the authority ensure such a situation does not happen?

There is another issue that is raised with us. In Ireland we tend to take directives literally and are over-compliant when it comes to implementing them. How do we compare with Spain, France and Portugal, in particular? Fishermen have given me anecdotal evidence that these three countries employ a much looser compliance system and they do not seem to be as strict as we are in Ireland. The authority holds discussions with other agencies and I want it to ensure there is a level playing field. Can compliance be relaxed as part of the new Bill? We all want to ensure the industry is well regulated, maintained and that environmental issues are taken on board. On the other hand, we want fishermen to conduct their work without being too fettered to directives.