Denis O'Donovan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)

Someone might throw me a buoy or a life belt.

We must examine the whole area of policing. The Minister is correct that we must examine fish conservation, including damage to stocks and damage to the environment. As we speak, this legislation and other legislation is having a serious impact on the Irish fishing industry. Ireland has a very small quota given that it has approximately 20% of EU waters but it has just approximately 3% of the entire EU catch. Today, yesterday and probably tomorrow, a fleet of Dutch super trawlers or processing plants are fishing mackerel 20 miles off Dursey Island in west Cork. It is not very far out, because I would venture that far in a small punt. To give some indication to the House and the public at large of what is involved, one of these vessels has a deck the same size as Croke Park. The 12 vessels can catch more mackerel this week than the entire fishing fleet can catch in a year. I would like to know who is policing this activity. Are we saying the Dutch must do so in regard to the Spanish or are we saying the Spanish must do it? They are supposed to do it, but do they?

Another worrying aspect when we talk about conservation and people committing offences is that the Irish fishing industry has been dealt a very bad hand in the past two or three months. What has happened is unfair, unwarranted and over the top. What bothers me in regard to these Dutch vessels is that approximately one-third of their catch is young immature fish. In the old days, they would be pumped out another chute and the dead fish would float. It would be considered a disgrace to have thousands of tonnes of such fish. These fish are now being minced up and flushed out, and who is monitoring this? While this appears to be a fleet of Dutch trawlers that is fishing legally and within the quota, I have grave concerns about the matter. We are very good at monitoring what we do ourselves, and rightly so, but if the infantile Irish fishing industry over-polices and over-monitors itself, despite what is happening in Europe to the rest of the industry, we are just codding ourselves because, in the next five years, the stocks will diminish and we will be left high and dry.

Given that Ireland has signed up to the Common Fisheries Policy, common penalties should apply throughout the EU. I ask the Minister to consider three aspects. First, will he consider changing the word "shall" to "may" in section 28? I am confident this is possible both politically and legally. Second, will he give serious consideration to administrative fines versus criminal sanctions? If he cannot facilitate us in this regard today, will he give an assurance that in the next six to nine months or sooner, he will work with the industry to define what constitutes minor offences? A schedule or codification of these offences would be useful; it is done with road traffic offences and in other areas of law.

The third issue is one in respect of which we must face reality. All of us are here to politically represent coastal communities.

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