Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 22 May 2018

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals

3:00 pm

Dr. Cecil Beamish:

No. In our area, and I mean the area around Ireland, one can set higher standards for our industry than the European minimum. In 1990, it was decided to prohibit our fleet from commercial fishing. A great deal of sea-bass fishing is almost on the surf. It is right up on the coast because that is where sea-bass congregate. A number of years ago the EU started to bring in management measures to address the sustainability of sea-bass fisheries further south. In that context it was possible, after considerable work, to close commercial fishing for everybody in our area thus creating a level playing field.