Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am looking at what is possible here. The inshore sector depends primarily on non-quota species - for example, our lobster and our crab. There are no quotas restricting how much of that can be fished. The fishermen themselves, working with Bord Iascaigh Mhara, have put in place management tools to try to make sure we have a sustainable fishery there into the future. We have seen the opening of the spurdog fishery, which was traditionally a really important fishery. It was a big step forward at last year's fisheries negotiations to get that reopened, but it will take time to develop that market and to get the value back to it.

The north-west herring fishery is an important fishery as well for inshore. That is shared out among those who have a track record. Some inshore boats have a track record; some do not. That was an issue this year too, and we will need to look to build on that. There is the issue with the price of crab and the price of lobster, particularly the price of crab, at the moment. It has caused a closedown really early, coming into what would normally be the best time of year. That is why I am looking to see what is possible here.

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