Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I thank witnesses for their presentations. It appears to me that, initially, the idea was to protect sprat for inshore fisheries but the wide brush was used on all of the other fisheries. In the north west, this will have implications for horse mackerel, nephrops and herring as no vessels will be able to fish there from October 2026. Even though the initial purpose was to ensure the sprats would be protected, we do not have any idea of the quantities of sprat there. It is hit and miss. I think it was based on the annual review of the Celtic Sea acoustic survey. The primary aim of that survey is to provide data on herring stock. While the biomass of sprat is also estimated, it is just estimated and reported. I would have thought there is nothing stopping or prohibiting us in Ireland from carrying out a study of sprat stocks in our EEZ area. Is that possible? Are we just linking this to herring and arriving at this conclusion?

There will be a limited allowable catch of 2,000 tonnes of sprat for vessels over 18 m in length between now and September of next year. What vessels are we talking about?

There is no quota on this TAC. Who decides what will be available to each vessel or is it hit and miss again? I would like some clarification on that.

I have just learned some frightening news from my contacts of many years in Brussels, although I am sure the witnesses know it. They will be aware that last year we had 37,640 tonnes of mackerel and with the Hague preferences it went up to something like 39,000 tonnes. ICES is proposing that this be reduced by 70%. I know that at the end of the day it will be less than 70%, but that is frightening. It will reduce to such an extent that it will not pay our boats to go to sea.

We had 57,000 tonnes of blue whiting last year. It is being proposed by ICES that this be reduced by 41%. The witnesses will be able to clarify if this devastating news is right or wrong. We have 80% of the European TAC for boarfish. Unfortunately it is not high, but it is to be reduced by 22%. That is the frightening news coming through from Brussels today.

We have to meet with the Minister as soon as possible to decide what action we are going to take. Why is mackerel to be reduced by 70%? As my colleague Deputy Padraig Mac Lochlainn has referenced, it is because the Norwegians, Icelanders, Finnish, Faroese and the UK are fishing indiscriminately and we are suffering as a result of that. Something has to be done. This has to go to highest level, the European Council, not just to the level of the Council of Ministers.

If we were not in the European Union and acting indiscriminately, we could fish 120,000 tonnes. It has got to such an extent that something has to be done about the overfishing by these other countries. The more they fish it has implications for price. I have said enough. I am just dumbfounded by the news. Perhaps some of the witnesses can clarify whether this is true. I hope they can clarify that what I have told them is not true.