Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----but his information is at variance with the facts as conveyed to me by officials in my Department. We are adamant that our fishing resource is adequately policed and monitored to maintain sustainability, and to ensure that our waters are not over-fished and that people fish only in accordance with the quotas that are allocated to them on an annual basis.

There is some access for Norwegians on the basis of coastal state negotiations in respect of certain species on an annual basis - the pelagic sector in particular. This is a reciprocal arrangement. The Norwegians have access to area 6 west of Scotland but north of 56^olatitude, which is roughly in line with Edinburgh. These are reciprocal arrangements in terms of EU negotiations and EU member states having access to Norwegian waters and Faroese waters in those circumstances. Access is governed by international negotiations where issues between coastal states and the European Union are at play.

To return to the core point which the Deputy raised, there is no access to Russian or Icelandic vessels in EU waters. It has been sought in the negotiations but resisted on all occasions.

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