Ms Anna O'Sullivan:

I thank the Cathaoirleach and the Deputy. I will clarify the point on the 7,000 tonnes and the cut-off point referred to in the Minister's decision. Ireland's quota for 2024 is 2,064 tonnes. That was the initial quota under the TAC and quota regulation. As Dr. Kelly mentioned, from 2016 to 2022, there was only a scientific fishery in place for that north-west herring stock to allow samples to be taken to be able to monitor the stock. For 2023, the advice was that the stock could be operated as a commercial fishery again.

The Minister decided that there were sufficient grounds to justify a review of the 2012 herring policy. The 2012 herring policy had set out that there was 5% of the quota set aside for vessels under 20 m that did not have a qualifying track record for an open fishery. When that was set back in 2012, there was the expectation that Ireland would have a reasonable quota in the years going forward. Obviously, the state of the stock did not support that for a number of years. We are still not back to the same levels. Following the public consultation and the review carried out in 2023, the Minister published his decision last year that where Ireland's quota for the north-west herring is less than 7,000 tonnes, the 2012 herring policy would be modified. Instead of a 5% being set aside, there would be a 350 tonnes level set for non-ring-fenced vessels, which would be vessels less than 20 m in length overall, which do not have that track record built up.

There was an open fishery last year during the autumn fishery and that level was exceeded. The fishery was not open again in the spring of this year but there was much herring caught. The Minister has to manage Ireland's quota within our allocation as best as possible. The Minister's recent decision was to allow for the sustainable management of the stock within the policy framework and to allow the stock to be managed as sustainably as possible for the benefit of all fishers in the long run, so that we can keep within the allocation and not overfish the stock.