Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

No Deputy wishes to be here debating this Bill. That the UK, our nearest neighbour and the nation with which we share our deepest cultural ties, has chosen to leave the EU is regrettable in the extreme. Ireland and the EU have been patient and will remain at the negotiation table for as long as needs be. I can see why that is the case. This is not a straightforward process. In the decades during which the EU has existed, its policies and measures have evolved dramatically. Walking away from everything might seem simple but it is not easy.

Ireland is unique on many levels in this situation. The UK and Ireland share a deep and often troubled history which continues to influence our interactions with one another for better or for worse. Ireland is unique in its geography and the challenges it faces arising not only from sharing a land border with the UK, but also from sharing marine areas. Although the land border has come to dominate many of the discussions surrounding the withdrawal of the UK from the EU, we have heard much less about what is to become of the maritime areas. I understand that any agreement on fisheries and maritime remains worryingly distant in the ongoing negotiations. Ireland is one of the few island nations in the EU. Although our island seems tiny in comparison with some of our neighbours, we have the highest proportion of marine area relative to our land size. Our exclusive economic zone, EEZ, represents approximately 10% of the entire EU EEZ. It is a significant resource that surrounds our coast and stretches out into the Atlantic.

On the fishing and seafood sector, the fisheries of Ireland and the UK are deeply entwined, with agreements long predating our entry to the European Union. As approximately 34% of Irish landings are taken in UK waters, Irish fishers have become significantly dependent on their access to those waters. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has highlighted that the Irish seafood industry is worth more than €1 billion, with up to 15,000 people having been employed directly or indirectly by the sector. Our trade relationship in the sector is also highly important, with estimates of the value of imports and exports being in the range of hundreds of millions of euro. The people and communities who have benefited so much from this relationship currently stand to incur substantial loss.

The departure of the UK from Irish waters poses another major concern for the fishing sector in the form of increased traffic from other European trawlers. Not only could this exacerbate the losses imposed as a result of the loss of access to UK waters, it could make it far more difficult for Irish fishers to land catches close to home. This issue will have economic and environmental impacts. It goes far beyond a simple consideration of the bottom line. Very often, fishing is in the blood. It is handed down from generation to generation and it is stitched into the fabric of coastal communities. We cannot put a figure on that. It will be of central importance to build on existing EU support and to continue working with fishers, coastal communities and the seafood sector to address challenges as they arise when the transition period ends.

I refer to the issue of marine protection. In our efforts to ensure a level playing field in trade and fishery negotiations, we must also prioritise marine protected areas and the common good they bring, not just for this country but for all member states in the EU. Marine life and ecosystems are key but often overlooked players in the fight against climate change and the protection of a healthy planet. Oceans provide 50% of the oxygen we breathe. They sequester carbon and modulate global weather patterns. However, maritime life is being exploited and strip-mined to dangerous levels. When marine areas are protected, there are not trade-offs or losers. Rather, fish live longer, grow larger, produce more offspring and replenish the overall marine area. On the whole, the fishing sector stands to gain from such protection.

With all of that said, there is a genuine fear among environmental groups, smaller scale fishers and conservationists that the UK may not strengthen or even maintain existing levels of protection of its maritime environment. That risk is coupled with the potential for increased EU fishing in Irish waters which would further undermine marine protection and biodiversity as well as posing challenges to our indigenous fishers. I fear that we may face an even worse scenario whereby the UK would seek to increase the current quotas to match the amount of fish currently taken by non-UK vessels within the UK zone. That would lead to serious over-exploitation of stocks at everyone's expense and particularly at the expense of natural marine environments.

The forthcoming marine planning and development management Bill will shape the future of Ireland's maritime sector, particularly in terms of how it addresses exclusive economic zones in the EU 27 and the Irish continental shelf. Given the breadth of work covered in the Bill, it is important to maintain constructive communication with our UK counterparts to ensure their facing legislation interfaces well with what is passed by the House. It is regrettable that a decision on fisheries and the marine has not yet been reached but, as an island nation with rich and strong tradition of seafaring and fishing, I remain optimistic that these crucial sectors will be supported no matter what the outcome is.

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