Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)

I wish the Minister of State, Deputy Connick, well in the forthcoming Council fisheries negotiations on 13 and 14 December, particularly considering it may be his last session with an election forthcoming.

Many fishermen in this country have given up hope for the industry. They bought into an industry in which they were willing to work with the fisheries regulatory authorities and the Department. However, the proposed reductions in the fishing quotas through so-called conservation management schemes will turn the industry on its head.

The word on the street is that the economy is going to get worse as it still has not hit the bottom yet. We did not listen to the word on the street ten years ago when people said the housing bubble would burst, there was no such thing as free money and young people would have millstones around their necks for the rest of their lives. People across the country are now struggling to make ends meet and put food on the table. The Minister of State can make his mark by removing the blinkers from his departmental officials and ensuring the development of an indigenous fishing industry. We have forgotten we are a maritime nation with a strong historical relationship with the sea. The Minister of State must also bring this message to Brussels on 13 and 14 December.

If this so-called EU-IMF bailout is to be repaid, the EU must know how we are going to do it. The four year national economic recovery plan alludes to growth in the seafood processing sector. Does the Minister of State have specific details about this? Does Europe want to facilitate a more radical overhaul of the present system in which most Irish catches land in European ports and not here? For example, Killybegs is only using 20% of its fish processing capacity.

The days-at-sea methodology versus quantity methodology is unfair to small boat fishermen. It counts days when fishermen must return to harbour because of bad weather or when a boat breaks down. For small boats, unable to achieve their traditional catches in the short number of days they are allocated, a mix of fisheries is no longer possible. The methodology was introduced for cod conservation but these small boats have negligible cod catches or bycatches.

There is no Area VIA quota for lesser spotted dogfish, commonly known as rock salmon, which is not consumed by humans. It is used as bait and Irish commercial fishermen import it at €15 per box to use as bait for crab-fishing when it is available on our shores. Will the Minister of State secure a quota for small boat fishermen to fish for rock salmon? Entry into this new industry would also ease pressure on crab stocks.

The EU is threatening to close Area VIIA for conservation purposes which must be resisted. If it is to be closed, it should only apply during the spawning season. Furthermore, if it is to be closed, it should be closed to Norwegian, French and Spanish fishermen too.

The EU white fish conservation effort assumes fishermen are damaging stocks. Irish fishermen, however, do not have the capacity to damage stocks. We can get people back working because for every job we create at sea, seven can be created ashore. We also need to work on the processing sector. I am impressed that the document refers to the seafood sector in the context of value added. Perhaps the Minister can highlight more specific points in his response. He should, however, use that as a main plank in the negotiations. Zaragoza is a major fishing port in Spain with a processing unit capacity of up to 76,000 square metres. We cannot possibly compete with that but we can seek to replicate it in some shape or form. In addition, we can use it as a basis to get this country out of the mess we are in.

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