Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

I support the hard work and efforts of my Department colleagues, the Minister, Deputy Brendan Smith, and the Minister of State, Deputy Tony Killeen, to find resolutions to the difficult challenges faced by the fishing industry. As pointed out by the Minister and Members in Fine Gael, the current circumstances in the fishing industry have been developing over time. The Irish fishing industry is wholly dependent on the state of the fish stocks in the Irish zone. The decline in fish stocks has not happened over night. There have been warning signs for some time and, collectively, we have not paid enough attention or taken adequate action. Clearly, this is a European issue and action must be taken at the EU Council table. It is realised across the board, by fellow member states and stakeholders, that many of our fish stock levels are low and must be rebuilt. Our ambition should be to have our fish stocks at high levels and in a healthy state so they can sustain our industry and coastal communities. It will require courageous management and enforcement of conservation measures and quotas at EU and national levels to rebuild our fish stocks.

The Marine Institute, the competent national authority on fish stocks, has advised on the current position and the future is worrying. Cod stocks have collapsed in the Irish Sea and west of Scotland, partly because of fishing and partly due to climate change, as acknowledged by Deputy McHugh. Irish Sea whiting has declined dramatically since early 2000 and the fishery, which yielded 15,800 tonnes in 1988, yielded 935 tonnes in 2006. The high-value Irish Sea sole stock has suffered from five years of poor spawning and the stock is at an all-time low. The Irish fleet now depends on prawns and we have been very fortunate that this stock appears to be in good condition and able to sustain current Irish fleet activity. However, having spoken to fishermen in my constituency from Balbriggan, Skerries and Howth in recent days, I note there is a trend towards having more and larger vessels fishing in the Irish Sea for prawns. If this continues, it will certainly be of concern.

The Celtic Sea herring stocking level is likely to be as low as it was in the 1970s, when it collapsed. There are serious concerns about north-west herring and a rebuilding plan should be put in place. The position on our key mackerel, horse mackerel and blue whiting stocks is not as serious as that on herring and whitefish. The status of the horse mackerel stock is unknown. Blue whiting fishing levels are considered too high to be sustainable.

Deep-water stocks are very different from traditional shallow-water species and are highly vulnerable to over-exploitation. Scientists consider that the stock is severely depleted, and deep-water fishing operations have been found to damage very sensitive habitats, for example, deep-water coral mounds. Scientists consider that shark and ray are in a serious state of decline.

Management plans are urgently required for all sea fisheries. These plans must reduce fishing pressure, eliminate discarding and rebuild depleted stocks. Across the EU, too many boats are targeting too few fish. We must reduce fleet capacity by permanently removing boats from the fleet, reduce fishing effort on stocks and develop long-term management plans for fish stocks to rebuild stocks that ought to be present. These are European challenges and we in Ireland must play our part. Substantial progress in delivering a better balance between our fleet and available fishing opportunities will be achieved with the full implementation of the current decommissioning scheme, which has funding in the order of €42 million.

Let me address a specific issue on sea bass which has been raised by the industry. In Ireland we have a ban on the landing of sea bass caught by trawlers and a restriction on the number of sea bass that anglers may retain each day. The industry has raised this issue with the Minister, Deputy Brendan Smith, and the Minister of State, Deputy Tony Killeen, and pointed out that commercial fishing of sea bass is allowed in other member states, including France and the United Kingdom. It has also pointed out that sea bass is a by-catch in many fisheries and fishermen are required under our own national laws to discard all fish caught unintentionally. Industry representatives asked the Minister and Minister of State to consider revising the current arrangements to allow for a by-catch quota for commercial trawlers. The Minister and Minister of State asked the Marine Institute for scientific advice and this has just been received. The institute advises that the total size of the stock frequenting waters around Ireland is unknown, but is likely to be quite small, with a maximum estimate of 100 tonnes. It advises that, despite warming seas around our coasts, the species remains at the northern limit of its range. The institute advises that "there is currently no prospect of a sustainable commercial fishery for sea bass". The Minister advises me he will discuss this scientific advice with his colleague, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Eamon Ryan, who has responsibility for angling and has a significant interest in this issue from a sea-angling perspective.

As Minister of State with responsibility for food, I see great potential in the seafood sector, provided we address now the structural challenges to which I referred. Consumers are developing a greater understanding of the range of fish on offer and are increasingly becoming aware of the nutritional benefits of eating seafood. It seems we are constantly receiving the positive message about the benefits of Omega 3 oils, and particularly the benefits of eating oil-rich fish. It is against this positive backdrop that the Irish seafood industry operates.

The Government is firmly committed to the development of our seafood industry and, as one may know, it is a key element of the National Development Plan 2007-2013. The Government is committed to investing over €500 million in the marine sector, from coastal infrastructure to marine research and seafood development. Of this sum, up to €334 million has been identified for investment in delivering the seafood element of the strategy.

I wish to support all the efforts of my colleagues, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Smith, and the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Killeen, in working to find solutions to the range of concerns identified by fishermen and, in particular, in taking decisive action to address the structural imbalance between fish stocks and the Irish fleet. I also am heartened by the commitment and dedication of all stakeholders in developing and promoting fish in the Irish marketplace in which there are excellent opportunities for the future of this indigenous, renewal, natural resource based industry.

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