Dr. Cecil Beamish:

It was closed prior to that for many years because there were no real management measures for sea-bass at an EU level. A number of years ago the sea-bass population was in trouble.

Ireland has a sea-bass angling business which has a knock-on effect in rural areas. The hobby generates a demand for accommodation in small hotels, bed and breakfast accommodation, etc. Tourists visit this country to spend time sea-bass angling. It has been a priority to protect the business yet limit the impact on sustainability. At present there is no commercial fishing for sea-bass by anybody around Ireland but there is a sea angling business. The multi-annual plan aims to manage commercial fishing stocks. If sea-bass is not being fished commercially, we do not see why it should be included in our area. There are other areas in the western waters where sea-bass is fished commercially and in significant quantities, namely, further south and down around the channel. The Commission's logic for keeping it in is that it wants to govern this fishery through a multi-annual plan. We think it would be cleaner if such fishing was taken out of our area but there is logic on both sides to retain the option. The plan does not change anything. It is not going to reopen commercial fishing, we think, and we would be very opposed to such a move.