Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)

It is really important that the Government supports inshore fisheries. I know that inshore fisheries have been squeezed out of many of the fisheries. Last week they outlined a series of ways in which they could be supported. It is important that Government does that. I understand the rationale for the ban on larger boats. However, and this is more directed at the Department, there will not be a long-term benefit to the inshore fishery if you do not have it as a sustainable fishery. When you are developing policies, you cannot separate those two things. There is a real risk with it. In the absence of data from the Marine Institute on what can be caught sustainably and where, there is a significant risk. That risk is not just to the livelihoods of the inshore fishermen. We have also seen that many marine tourism operators are being impacted by this, as is the wider environment in its own right, whether mammals or seaboards.

That was important, and this was a missed opportunity to deal with that. When I have been calling for a moratorium on fishing, it was for that purpose - a moratorium until a sustainable management plan was in place. That is ultimately what will assist the inshore sector many years into the future, and not just be a benefit over the coming few years. That is important.

I also make another point. It is unfortunate that some of the environmental groups were not invited in or invited to make a submission, because quite serious allegations are being made against them and they do not have an opportunity to respond. That is really unfair. When we talk about the marine, which this committee is tasked to deal with, it is not just fisheries issues that we have been tasked to deal with. We have been tasked to deal with the wider marine environment as well. It is important that we see all of those different aspects work in conjunction. It is not the case that we will just focus on fisheries and how much more quota we can get. Fundamentally, if we do not have the science right and do not have sustainable fisheries, we will see collapse of all those and then no-one will have any work. That is really important.

I return to the Marine Institute. The plan and policy are in place. There will be a ban on the over 18s, and the inshore fishers will have access to unregulated and unlimited amounts of sprat going forward. I will not be able to change that, no matter what Bills I introduce. Hopefully, these discussions will assist the Minister going forward in making further decisions on this. However, I ask that the Marine Institute is tasked to conduct all the analysis it can and that it is resourced. I am not sure how the ICES process gets kicked off for 2027, but it is fundamental that it is done. We cannot have a situation where we have the international organisation responsible for fisheries management saying that as a precautionary measure, we should not be fishing above 2,200 tonnes and yet we do not have any quota on them at all. There are no restrictions other than the short-term restriction on the over 18s. That is not acceptable. How do we get that ICES process kicked off, or is it already under way?