Dr. Mark Mellett:

As I mentioned earlier, there is a seafood working group, which is the interface with fishers at present, and it is chaired by Mr. Richard McCabe. Its work is ongoing and it has been meeting over the past year. It is developing that institutional arrangement with fishers in order that there will be an understanding in the context of how we can move forward with communications. In the context of the DMAP side, obviously if there are sensitive habitats where there is spawning or there are other critical areas in the ecosystem that are vital for certain fisheries, it is unlikely that they will be designated for the development of offshore renewables.

The issue with regard to fishers is probably something that will have to be a part of that collective, moving forward, in the context of the final mapping out of DMAPs. I hope the offshore renewable energy seafood working group will reach that point of truth where principles are understood to ensure the sea area is designated in a manner that meets both requirements. The marine spatial planning Act will, in due course, provide another layer. There is complexity to integrated ocean management. In an ideal world, all the pieces of the jigsaw would move together. Deputy Ó Broin made the point that some of these pieces will have to move before we have a more holistic picture for marine spatial planning. Many of these pieces will be picked up as a whole in the future. Some of these pieces will initially come through the communications of the offshore renewable seafood working group.