Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

I share the Commissioner's concern about discards but I do not agree with her solution to that problem. It is simply a moral issue, but, in addition, the killing of juvenile fish in order to catch marketable fish is detrimental to future fish stocks. Literally hundreds of thousands of tonnes of juvenile fish are dumped over the side, dead, because they cannot be brought ashore by a boat that is over quota. This is something that simply must be tackled, but in a way that is workable and that will not put people out of business. I have had preliminary discussions with industry representatives on this issue. We are considering, for example, the introduction of a pilot project in what is called the biologically sensitive area or the Irish conservation box, which would help the Commission understand the practicalities of what it is proposing. This would also be a way of reinforcing in people's minds the fact that the Irish box is a vulnerable area that needs to be maintained. If we were to lose that area, the impact on Irish fish stocks would be devastating. I am cautious about the discards issue, but I am also realistic in admitting that something must happen. I encourage the industry to work with me on this.

The principle of subsidiarity is one that should apply to the CFP. We have good examples of stocks, including Celtic Sea herring, that are actually growing at the moment. We have put measures in place on a voluntary basis, including set-aside at sea, under which the industry has agreed not to fish in certain areas to allow stocks to breed and grow. That type of approach should be factored into the CFP.

I have invited the Commissioner to come to Ireland to see for herself how the industry works here, because the industry in Ireland is structured in a different way from that of France or Spain. In France, the fleet is predominantly owned by big multinationals, while in Ireland trawlers are owned by families. It is a different financial structure, and the Commissioner needs to understand that in the context of the CFP.

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