Seán Connick (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

I thank my colleagues for their good wishes on my appointment to my new portfolio. I have been reading into my brief over recent days. It has been a baptism of fire and I spent yesterday in Brussels. I have been learning the names of the boxes, including VIIa and VIIb, and about associated issues. I met the strategy group today and many people from the Deputies' constituencies.

I am grateful for this opportunity to address the house in my new capacity as Minister of State with responsibility for fisheries. I look forward to a robust and, I hope, creative exchange of views on the issue at hand, but also on the myriad challenges that will face the fishing industry over my tenure in this portfolio.

The topic for today stems in the main from the conservation measures for whitefish affecting Area VI, west of Donegal and off Scotland, which were adopted at the 2008 December Fisheries Council. These conservation measures impacted directly on some of our vessels fishing in the north west.

An associated issue, which has been referred to, is the question of quota for spurdog. The scientific advice of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, ICES, is that the stock of spurdog or dogfish is depleted, that there should be no targeted fishery therefor and that the bycatch in mixed fisheries should be reduced to the lowest possible level. On the basis of this advice, the Council regulation fixing for 2010 the fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks, applicable in Community waters and for Community vessels, made no allowance for a directed fishery for spurdog. By-catches, under certain specific conditions, are permitted up to 10% of the 2009 quota levels established in Regulation (EC) No 43/2009. Catches not complying with these conditions or exceeding these quantities shall be promptly released unharmed to the extent practicable.

In effect this means that Irish vessels may catch up to a maximum of approximately 19 tonnes of spurdog-dogfish as a by catch in 2010. At the regular monthly whitefish meeting between officials of my Department and fishing industry representatives on 22 January 2010, the Federation of Irish Fishermen proposed that for the month of February 2010 a by-catch provision of 2% for this stock should be applicable to all vessels. This proposal was accepted by the former Minister of State, Deputy Killeen, and was later replicated for the March and April management periods. This management arrangement will be kept under constant review to ensure that our overall limit is not exceeded.

To return to the main matter at hand, and without going too much into the technical details, the conservation measures introduced in December 2008 defined minimum mesh sizes, other aspects of fishing gears and geographical areas, in particular the area which is deemed to have the highest concentration of cod, haddock and whiting in shallower waters. This is defined and commonly known as the French line. Certain types of fishing is prohibited or restricted, and vessels operating in the defined area are required to use a larger mesh size than is generally applicable in western waters.

Against a very difficult background and a determined Commission position, Ireland succeeded in getting limited concessions, which reduced, to some degree the impacts on our vessels in particular our smaller vessels. Vessels under 15 m are permitted to use smaller mesh size than the larger vessels. However as the main fishery being pursued by these vessels is the megrim fishery, the mesh size defined for all vessels is too large and has resulted in this important fishery being uneconomic for our fishermen.

The Commission was of the firm view that the measures are essential for the conservation of cod, haddock and whiting stocks. Scientific advice for these stocks and in particular cod and whiting is that they are depleted and must be rebuilt. While I fully accept the scientific advice, I consider, however, that the measures taken are disproportionate as they impact adversely on the megrim fishery which is of significant financial importance to our vessels operating in the area. As I have stated, these measures were introduced for the first time in December 2008 as emergency measures by the Commission. The then Minister of State, Deputy Killeen, immediately sought amendments to these measures and brought forward proposals in consultation with the industry which would both deliver on the conservation requirements for cod, haddock and whiting and preserve a viable megrim fishery. The Minister of State sought to have these amendments introduced as part of the new technical conservation measures, TCM, regulation. As the Deputies are aware, this failed to be adopted during the Fisheries Council in November 2009, despite a late compromise being tabled by the Swedish Presidency.

Ireland and the UK worked closely together with both sets of industries to amend the 2009 provisions. As there was no agreement at Council, the Commission introduced transitionary measures which substantially copied those in place for 2009 and did not take cognisance of the changes necessary for Ireland's megrim fishery. For this Ireland voted against the transitional measures and the UK also voted against them. The European Parliament and the Council under the co-decision procedure must now consider the full TCM proposal.

The current situation is not satisfactory and has been the subject of ongoing debate and lobbying by ourselves and the UK, particularly Scotland. As recently as last Thursday at the EU Fisheries Working Group in Brussels, the Commission advised it will withdraw the TCM proposal which was not agreed by Council last November when the Presidency compromise failed and transitionary measures were agreed to run until mid 2011. It now intends to propose, as part of the overall CFP reform package, a new technical measures regulation which will take account of co-decision procedure and which considers a fuller impact assessment. The new regulation will be part of the CFP reform package expected to be released in spring 2011 and concluded before end 2012 and it therefore proposes to extend the transitionary measures currently in place until end 2012.

Ireland has consistently, both at ministerial and official levels, set out our difficulties with the 2008 technical measures. Deputy Killeen has made very clear that this situation is not acceptable, and I fully agree. He secured a commitment from the Commission at last Decembers Fisheries Council to the effect that:

The Council and the Commission take note of requests by some Member States to modify existing technical measures for the ICES Zone VI in advance of the agreed overall reform of the technical measures rules for mid 2011. The Commission will consider these requests and where appropriate present relevant proposals, if possible in the course of first half of 2010.

From an Irish perspective it is vitally important that the revisions envisaged are introduced in 2010, and with that in mind I will vigorously pursue the Commission on this and insist that it honours its commitment. I will work closely with my UK colleague who has similar concerns in this matter. In addition, I intend to continue the consultation process with the Federation of Irish Fishermen on this matter with a clear view to strengthening our efforts to have a satisfactory conclusion on the issue.

I am looking forward to the challenges facing me with this portfolio. It is fair to say that I am excited with the prospect of working in tandem with the fishing industry, other stakeholders and this House to deliver a strong, vibrant and viable Irish seafood sector and to promoting the best interests of our coastal communities dependent on the fishing industry at National, EU and international levels.

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