Dr. Cecil Beamish:

No, that is a different matter. The Senator referred to dredging, but as the trawlers do not touch the seabed, they should not be dredging. They operate mid-water trawls with the same type of fishing gear the Killybegs fleet and our larger pelagic vessels around the coast use to catch the same stocks. The issue with any fishing operation is whether it is done legally and a vessel is taking the quantity it is entitled to take under the sustainable management arrangements. There is the same challenge whatever the nationality; therefore, it is a question of the out-take relative to entitlement in the sustainable management of the stock. A fish does not know whether it is being killed by a Dutch vessel, an Irish vessel or anything else. That is a challenge for the control authorities. Ireland has a control responsibility in respect of any and all fleets operating in our zone. It is a challenge for the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority and the Naval Service.