John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister for arranging this debate on foot of his marathon negotiating session at the Council meeting. I attended such meetings in previous years and I understand the lengthy debates that continue deep into the night. A system appears to have evolved over the years whereby Ministers are obliged to keep negotiating until it is almost morning before reaching an agreement. However, I hope the package that has emerged will underpin a sustainable framework for fisheries into the future.

The Minister certainly is correct in stating this Council meeting was one of the most important for years in setting out the future of the Common Fisheries Policy, CFP. It is important that Members on all sides of the House would be of like mind in ensuring that Irish fisheries are protected into the future and that, when the Common Fisheries Policy document finally comes before them, it will be of major benefit to Irish fishermen throughout the country. While some reports of the meeting have presented its conclusions as a done deal, I am sure the Minister will accept much more work remains to be done in setting out the framework for a new Common Fisheries Policy. Under the co-decision procedure implemented by the Lisbon Treaty, yesterday's meeting merely comprises one part of a two-step process to establish a new CFP. As I am sure the Minister will accept, the proposal as agreed by the Council will now go before the European Parliament for further scrutiny, debate and amendment, if the latter is required. In this context, I note Pat the Cope Gallagher, MEP has been very much to the forefront on the subject of fisheries and on the fisheries committee and I hope the Irish MEPs will support the Minister in his endeavours to get the best deal possible for Irish fishermen. I understand the Parliament will not complete its report until October, after which negotiations will commence between the Council and the Parliament. As the Minister noted, it will be deep into 2013 before the CFP is finalised. The Minister should acknowledge that reports presenting the CFP as a done deal are wide of the mark. It is to be hoped the Minister will have a major say when Ireland holds the Presidency of the European Union and that he will be at the coalface of ensuring the Common Fisheries Policy is the best deal on the table for Ireland and for Irish fishermen, as I am sure he will.

The CFP system for Irish fishermen continues to provide a system which I believe tries to set out a structured and sustainable management of international fishing activity in each of the key areas of interest to Irish fishermen, particularly in the rich north-east Atlantic. It sets out stable arrangements for access to the large European Union seafood market for the large volumes of Irish seafood products the Irish fishing industry exports to those markets. This sustains direct employment for fishermen and creates spin-off jobs in the agrifood industry. In this context, I welcome the Minister's recent announcement regarding grant aid for different companies around the coastline. I am aware of one if not two companies in County Wexford that received grant aid. While Kilmore Quay is at the hub of the fishing industry, it also is at the hub of adding value to the fish products provided by the fishermen. It is only right that such companies should get the support and assistance announced by the Minister last week. It will ensure they will be able to develop further products and markets, as well as ensuring jobs along the coastline, which is very important in certain rural areas. This industry is an important part of the economy and contributes between €700 million and €800 million annually to national income, as well as employing 1,100 people around the coastline. I consider it to be highly important to the continuation of a viable rural Ireland and I note that at present, agriculture and fisheries appear to be the two main areas that are doing well. It is important this should continue, because agriculture and fishing are areas in which there is huge potential for job creation. The Minister spoke about aquaculture. Like him, I have a deep interest in this industry. I know it can be very controversial at times but there are opportunities to develop it. The amount of fish available to the EU at present is only about 70% sustainable within the Union and there are opportunities for Ireland to develop this industry. I welcome that the Minister is now looking at a different approach in that, as he informed us last week, BIM will now apply for licences in certain parts of the country. If it gets the licence for aquaculture the industry will be under State control and I imagine BIM will be able to lease the licences to companies that want to develop and be involved in aquaculture. It is a good and even a novel way of doing things. As we know, and as the Minister is aware, the hoops one must go through to get an aquaculture licence in recent years have made it practically impossible to renew an existing licence and certainly impossible to get a new one. I welcome the Minister's approach in this regard. The future of the Common Fisheries Policy, CFP, is vital to those jobs and to the marine tradition of the coastal regions of Ireland which have a proud fishing heritage. In this light, yesterday's meeting was of critical importance to the people who are reliant on a sustainable and practical framework for their livelihoods in the fishing industry.

It is also important that we assess in detail the outcome of yesterday's meeting and review it in light of what fishermen believe its practical impact will be on their livelihoods, what the analysis of the industry as a whole is and also in respect of the broader fundamental question of the creation of a fisheries policy that recognises and adapts to the need to create a sustainable industry. "Sustainable" is a very important word both at EU level and for the Fisheries Commissioner. I know the Minister has had to bend the ear of the Commissioner on several occasions to ensure that while we have a sustainable industry it is also a practical one that is not tied up with red tape and bureaucracy.

I understand the issue of discarding of fish, whereby unwanted catches of dead fish are thrown back into the sea, was by far the most contentious element of the discussions yesterday and from what I heard in conversation with Pat the Cope Gallagher this issue could have derailed the Council's efforts to reach an agreement. There is no easy solution to the discard situation. Different Ministers at EU level have looked at the issue and discussed it but very few decisions were made in the past. Significant media and industrial attention has been paid to the issue and to the future of fishing as a sustainable industry. In every newspaper one read or took up in recent months, whether Irish, English or international, the discard issue is one where there has been major criticism of the lack of action within the EU. The United Nations has stated that the north-east Atlantic has the second highest discards level in the world, estimated to be 1.3 million tonnes annually. Most of these discards are attributed to EU fishermen and are carried out under the current EU Common Fisheries Policy. The Minister's compromise obviously averted the prospect of a collapse but we must question this. Perhaps when the Minister comments at the end of the debate he might take on board what the Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation chief executive, Sean O'Donoghue, said on "Morning Ireland". He was highly critical of the decision of the Minister and argued that his organisation's policy of minimising discards by expanding fish nets and systematically avoiding specific areas offers a better method of reducing the elimination of fishing stock. Whether the fish are discarded or landed, they are dead and fishing stocks suffer as a result. There are real questions as to how practical a solution the compromise will be in reality for boats fishing in the Atlantic. I hope the Minister might elaborate somewhat on the concerns of Sean O'Donoghue. There is a very real fear that the compromise which has emerged may serve PR purposes rather than tackle the issue of sustainable fishing stocks.

The specific proposals involved cover outstanding issues. Most of the measures adopted are welcome and progressive steps but I believe difficulties may emerge with the implementation of some. The compromise aims to achieve maximum sustainable yields by 2015 where possible, and by 2020 at the latest. A consultation with third countries concerned will be initiated in cases where stocks are shared. Perhaps the Minister might elaborate on these third countries and how he sees this evolving. There has been some controversy in recent months about how third countries operate and we need more clarification on that.

On multiannual plans, the compromise establishes that member states should manage fisheries in more detail through quantifiable targets linked to biological parameters, as well as to safeguards and remedies. It applies the principle of maximum sustainable yields to the significant stocks in multiannual plans while specific measures apply to other stocks with an approach that takes into account interactions between stocks. We would welcome the multiannual plans as a good idea.

A gradual approach of the policy of landing obligation is proposed but the aim is still the elimination of discards. Concerning the landing obligation in identified fisheries, a specification through multiannual plans within a fixed timeframe is laid down.

Regionalisation has been an area of controversy in recent months and is an issue that was raised by fishermen throughout the country. This concept is now supported by a majority of member states as it accepts that one size does not fit all. It is very important that the Minister succeeded in getting concessions in this area. The compromise introduces an alternative model for regionalisation whereby member states adopt national measures through regional co-operation. This is a welcome step for the future of the fisheries industry in Ireland because what was initially planned would certainly not have suited Irish fishermen. Again, the Minister has come up to the plate and is keeping the fishermen reasonably happy in that particular area.

The compromise foresees the creation of additional advisory councils - one for the Black Sea and one for the outermost regions of the EU. We welcome that. I refer to transferable fishing concessions and capacity management which are also very welcome.

Consumer information is one of the key areas. The consumer is king and needs to have full information to hand about the types of products he or she is purchasing, the environmental factors and the sustainability of such products. The Minister might elaborate on what the Commissioners mentioned in regard to developing an EU sustainability label. I wonder how that would operate and how it would affect a country like Ireland where we talk about the green environment and about producing quality food, quality fish and farming products in a green area.

The European Parliament will look at these matters before negotiating with the Council. Over the coming months it is vital that the matters raised are thoroughly looked into and their practical impact is analysed. It is very important the MEPs work closely with the Minister on this area in order to get the best possible deal in the end. I hope the Minister will be in place when Ireland has the EU Presidency and that he will be at the coalface to ensure the Irish fishing industry is protected in every part of the country and is allowed to develop and expand. Yesterday's meeting is a significant step in the creation of a new Common Fisheries Policy but it is only one step on the long road that remains. I am sure the Minister is aware of that and is prepared for the long haul. It will be a long haul trying to negotiate his way and satisfy every fisherman in this country. That is not an easy task but he made an important point, one that I found to be the same when I was in that job, namely, it is important to have like-minded countries on board that will support us and help us to try to achieve the ultimate - what is best for Irish fishermen.

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