Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

I propose to share time with Deputies Harrington and McHugh.

Our purpose this evening is to discuss the Common Fisheries Policy which was debated yesterday for the first time in a real sense at the European Council when the Commissioner presented her policy reform document to Ministers. I welcome much of what is contained in the document and the principle behind many of the objectives set regarding the introduction of reforms. In particular, the Government is very supportive of ensuring the sustainability of stocks, with the maximum sustainable yield to be reached through stock management when and where possible.

There are, however, a number of proposed reforms outlined by the Commission which we cannot support, or at least not in their current format. The first is the proposal to fundamentally change the way in which we allocate quotas across the European Union. Quotas are currently treated as a national asset to be distributed by governments to fishing fleets in consultations between the government and the industry. That is certainly what happens in Ireland. We have done this successfully with a relatively small quota to keep our fishing communities intact and fishing harbours busy. It is being proposed that we move away from political control of the allocation of fishing quotas to what is termed an individual transferable fishing concession or fishing quota. In other words, we would be moving towards privatising the long-term use of quotas, although not ownership. Boats would be able to transfer between them a quota for payment. In other words, what the Commissioner would like to facilitate is consolidation within the industry, reducing the number of boats in the fleet and allowing trawlers with buying power to purchase quota from those looking to get out of the industry. We cannot support this and fear, in particular, that not only would we see consolidation of the industry in two or three ports in Ireland which would damage other fishing communities but also the potential for quota to be transferred from the Irish fleet. The Spanish fleet is an obvious issue in this respect as it is too big for the size of its quota and must buy more. The Commissioner has insisted that her proposal will result in quota being transferred within member states only. We do not see how she can prevent quota from being transferred out of Ireland. That is something we cannot accept and will not support. There needs to be much more discussion on how we reach maximum sustainable yield for fish stocks. We need to consider how we can adopt a species-by-species, fish-by-fish approach. I will work in consultation with the industry and the Commissioner to try to get to where she wants to go. I do not think it can be imposed as quickly as she is proposing to do.

I strongly agree with what the Commissioner is trying to do about discards. She wants to end the indefensible practice whereby huge volumes of dead fish, including juvenile fish and fish that were caught out of quota, are discarded over the sides of boats by people who do not have a quota to bring them ashore. However, the Commissioner's proposal, which involves simply banning all discards in a relatively short period of time, is simply not workable for a country like Ireland that has a mixed fishery. When one is trying to catch haddock and whiting in the Celtic Sea, one will catch cod at the same time. If one does not have a quota for cod, one cannot bring it ashore.

Given that cod stocks are pretty strong in the Celtic Sea at the moment, it is crazy in a mixed fishery that dead mature fish which are suitable for the market have to be ditched by fishermen who do not have a quota to catch them. We need to make significant progress on the discards argument. Apart from the damage it does to stocks, it is immoral that we are dumping approximately 400,000 tonnes of dead fish into Irish waters each year. We can deal with discards in a way that makes sense by working with the industry. Ireland has been very progressive in terms of putting together pilot projects to make a positive impact on the discards problem. We will continue to do that in the coming year.

I welcome the fact that a full discussion on the Common Fisheries Policy proposals is taking place. I welcome the Commissioner's willingness to listen to different points of view. I look forward to working with the Commission to find an acceptable compromise. I hope that can happen during the Irish Presidency in the first six months of 2013, or before then if possible.

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