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

We are dealing with this in the context of the legislation.

This legislation is, in one sense, informed by broader Brexit considerations, and we cannot ignore that fact.

On the issue of consultation, I have engaged more often than not with the inshore fisheries forum. We had a particularly intense engagement recently because we launched an inshore fisheries strategy and, for the first time, the potential of the sector is being given due recognition. I am committed to ensuring that the sector gets the recognition it deserves. I urge those Members who raised issues of management to look at the Department's website which deals with consultation and management. There were more than 900 engagements with the Department on the recent management decision taken on boats fishing in our inshore waters. We have extensive consultations on fisheries management. I acknowledge the progress that is being made by the regional and national forums in terms of driving conservation agendas on crab, v-notching and so forth. Anyone who comes in to fish in the six-mile zone will be obliged to operate within the same parameters as our own inshore fishermen in terms of boat size, conservation measures and so forth. That is an absolute commitment and it is reflected in the law.

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