Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

There is a detailed discussion to be had with regard to the consequences of what happened off Arranmore Island where a localised fishing industry that was entirely reliant on crab and lobster was wiped out when the fishermen lost all their gear in a storm. That is a matter to which I will give consideration when I visit Donegal. I do not want to raise expectations without first having examined what occurred. To date, I have literally engaged in a five-minute conversation in respect of this issue.

In respect of aquaculture, I have seen the expected timetable for assessing all of the harbours located in Natura 2000 areas or SACs before licences can be applied for, considered and granted. If I recall correctly, Glengarriff will not be dealt with until 2017. The system is not working nor will it work into the future. If we were to apply the timetable that is currently proposed, we would miss an extraordinary opportunity to develop an aquaculture industry in Ireland which could fill markets across Europe and further afield.

I recently visited the largest fishing expo in the world, which is held each year in Brussels. Some 19 Irish companies were represented there and the biggest difficulty for them was the fact that buyers did not know why they were present if they could not sell them the volumes they required. Last year, 12,000 tonnes of farmed salmon were produced in this country. Scotland produced 150,000 tonnes and Norway produced over 1 million tonnes. I understand that production in the latter is now heading towards 2 million tonnes. We have a fantastic natural resource and we must manage it in a proper and sustainable way in order that it will not impact on other fisheries. I accept there are concerns in respect of aquaculture but I am of the view that we can deal with these. We cannot allow this huge opportunity to pass.

Some 70% of the fish consumed within the European Union is imported from outside of it. There is a huge market for our aquaculture products on our doorstep. The way to expand the fishing industry in this country is to expand aquaculture and the processing element of the fishing industry. In the interim, we must examine the position with regard to quotas and try to improve our deal in the context of the Common Fisheries Policy etc. The window of opportunity that exists is, for political reasons, limited. However, there are major opportunities in the other two areas to which I refer. My officials and I met the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, Deputy Deenihan, and his officials and we are trying to find a way to progress the position with regard to the granting of aquaculture licences in Natura 2000 areas in a much more speedy fashion.

See this speech in context