Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:

"notes:

the commitment of the Government to the implementation of report of the Seafood Industry Strategy Review Group, Steering a New Course, for the delivery of a restructured, sustainable and profitable Irish seafood industry;

the commitment of the Government to seafood development through an investment of €216 million under the national development plan;

the progress made by the Government in implementing a restructuring of the Irish whitefish fleet and the payment of €42 million in grants through a programme of decommissioning to remove up to 35% of the larger whitefish vessels from the fleet, with significant consequential benefit to those remaining in the industry;

the ongoing meetings between Government Ministers and the Federation of Irish Fishermen and the presentation to the European Commission and the Council of EU Fisheries Ministers of the concerns of Irish fishermen;

the agreement of EU Fisheries Ministers on a new Regulation to combat landings of illegal, unreported and unregulated fish from within and outside the EU, estimated at a value of €1.1 billion annually to the European Union;

the undertaking of the EU Fisheries Commissioner to examine new scientific information in relation to cod stocks in the Celtic Sea and to consider the possibility of a sustainable increase in access for Irish fishermen to these stocks to alleviate pressure on incomes of Irish fishermen;

the establishment of a new Irish Seafood Market Initiative, under the chairmanship of the CEO of Bord lascaigh Mhara, to maximise opportunities in the Irish domestic seafood market for the Irish fishing fleet; and

the establishment of a new Irish Fisheries Science Research Partnership, under the chairmanship of the CEO of the Marine Institute, to enhance collaboration and mutual understanding on fisheries science priorities which are beneficial to the long-term future of the Irish fishing industry;

acknowledges:

that the current short-term difficulties being experienced by Irish fishermen must be seen within the context of a Common Fisheries Policy and require to be addressed by a common EU-funded approach;

commends:

the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Minister of State with special responsibilities for fisheries for their efforts to:

secure an EU-funded package of measures to alleviate the concerns of Irish fishermen;

press the European Commission for an adjustment of the total allowable catch for Celtic Sea cod; and

focus on the need for the early adoption of new conservation measures to reduce the deliberate discarding of mature fish and juvenile protection measures in the waters around Ireland;

supports new initiatives at EU level to improve labelling of fish and fish products to assure consumers of their origin and to increase the return received by fishermen at the quayside."

I wish to share my time with the Minister of State, Deputy Trevor Sargent, and Deputies Pat 'the Cope' Gallagher and Sean Connick.

I appreciate the opportunity we have this evening to discuss the current issues of importance to the Irish seafood industry which is facing a particularly challenging time, as all Deputies present have stated. It also affords me the opportunity to update the House on the most recent developments at home and in Europe in the seafood sector and the work that my colleague, the Minister of State with special responsibility for fisheries, Deputy Tony Killeen, and I have been doing since our appointment and particularly since the Dáil debated this matter last month.

Central to our work has been the ongoing contact that we have maintained with the Federation of Irish Fishermen. At last week's conference on innovation and sustainability in the seafood sector the Minister of State, Deputy Killeen, took the opportunity once again to discuss issues raised and review progress. He acknowledged the patience and very reasonable attitude of fishermen since our meeting in Athlone on 13 June. He recognised that fishermen are impatient at delays in finding solutions to the current crises. I assure fishermen and the FIF that the Minister of State and I fully understand their situation and we will continue to work with the utmost urgency to secure an EU-funded package of measures as early as possible and to progress the range of other issues identified by the FIF as of particular importance.

Following the Athlone meeting with the Federation, the Minister of State, Deputy Killeen, and I met EU Fisheries Commissioner, Mr. Joe Borg, on 18 June when we outlined in detail to him the urgent issues facing the Irish fishing industry. At the EU Fisheries Council meeting last week and following a further meeting with the FIF, I outlined to the Council a strong case for a package of EU-funded measures to address the current difficulties experienced by fishermen in our country. I was supported by a number of Ministers from other member states in expressing the view that there was an urgent need for a pan-European approach to resolving the short and medium-term difficulties.

The introduction of short-term measures to complement the restructuring of the Irish fishing fleet through the current decommissioning scheme is an important element in addressing the difficulties now faced by vessel owners and crew. It is our clear view that the Commission has a responsibility to source additional funding to support the industry during this period of restructuring and put it on a firm and sustainable footing in the future. We take the view, given the relatively small share Ireland receives from the Common Fisheries Policy, that Ireland has a special case for additional funding.

In addition to the specific proposals on short-term measures, the Minister of State, Deputy Killeen, and I pressed for further initiatives to strengthen the price fishermen receive for their catch and to reduce the cost of fishing. At the Council we pressed the Commission to examine new initiatives at EU level to increase the return received by fishermen at the quayside and improved labelling to assure consumers. We also asked the Commission to bring forward initiatives on research and innovation in the development of more fuel-efficient engines and fishing practices.

The situation we face is that, given the large-scale programme of decommissioning that is under way, as recommended in the Cawley strategy report on the future of the fishing industry in Ireland, there is no funding available under the European Fisheries Fund nationally for temporary tie-up measures as envisaged in the Commission's paper. For this reason, I pushed the Commission to provide the necessary additional funds from the EU budget. The Fisheries Commissioner, Mr. Borg, has undertaken to come back to the next Council meeting on 15 July with definitive proposals.

The Cawley strategy, Steering A New Course, was launched in January 2007 and represents an excellent blueprint to transform the industry. The strategy sets out a vision for a sustainable, profitable and self-reliant industry. The expert analysis set out in that report remains valid today. We must ensure that we do not lose sight of our agreed goals and that we use this opportunity to continue to implement the key recommendations. The strategy focused on a number of key areas, namely, the restructuring of the fishing fleet to bring it into balance with available resources, a more innovative and co-ordinated approach to the marketing of seafood, capitalising on its healthy and nutritious image and maximising the value of seafood at every stage from the sea to the table. The Government has committed to this strategy.

I am pleased that a number of the structural measures outlined in the strategy have already been successfully implemented. These include the 2008 whitefish decommissioning scheme which we announced recently with grant aid of €41 million. Approved applicants have until 18 July 2008 to accept the offer and if they do so they must surrender their fishing licences by 12 September 2008. Failure by an applicant to meet these deadlines will result in the next applicant on a reserve list being offered the opportunity to decommission his or her vessel.

The approval involves 46 boats over 18 m in length, with a combined capacity of 7,590 gross tonnes, permanently exiting the whitefish fleet over the coming weeks. With an average size of 165 gross tonnes per vessel, these boats represent 68% of the overall target set for the scheme and are in addition to the 27 whitefish boats already decommissioned in 2005-06. Overall, a total of 33% of the over-18 m whitefish fleet involving 73 large vessels will have been decommissioned since 2005. The result of this decommissioning will be a significant boost to the economics of those boats that remain in the fleet. This economic lift comes from the redistribution of the whitefish and prawn catch previously taken by the vessels being decommissioned and is currently estimated at €20 million. Over the next five years this will result in up to €100 million in additional catching opportunities for those boats that remain. Decommissioning is very beneficial to those owners and skippers who remain in the fleet.

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