Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Dáil for scheduling this question-and-answer session. It is really important fisheries gets a strong airing here and in the committee. I always welcome the opportunity to do that and indeed I specifically requested we not have statements but statements, questions and answers because it is important to have the opportunity to discuss any of the key issues raised on the floor of the Dáil in order that they get discussed and teased out comprehensively.

As we know, the outcome of the Brexit negotiations had significant impact on fisheries sector and this is something the Government has recognised. We obviously worked hard to get the best outcome we possibly could but fishing undoubtedly took a hit with 15% of our quota impacted as a result of the Brexit negotiations. Coming out of that, I engaged comprehensively with the fishing sector to respond to that in respect of both working at European level to try to improve our situation with regard to quota and of pulling all the sector together. I worked on pulling together all the key fishing representatives to put together the seafood task force to set out advice for me on how we can best support the sector in the years ahead, how we can best maximise the fishing sector we have and how we can best improve it and build it up as well. All those stakeholders took part in the seafood task force and unanimously signed off on the final report of the task force in October 2021. That task force recommended support measures for the fishing fleet and for inshore fishermen, aquaculture and seafood processors, as well as for fisheries co-operatives and coastal communities.

To date, on foot of the task force recommendations, I have delivered an unprecedented €305 million worth of support schemes for development and restructuring to ensure we have a sector that is as profitable and sustainable as it possibly can be and to identify new opportunities for jobs and economic activity in coastal communities, for whom fishing is massively important. I followed through on the recommendations from that task force. The sector itself came up with those recommendations and I have followed through on all of them, let no dust come on that report and delivered on the recommendations.

Fisheries quotas are obviously the key issue and key raw ingredient that drives our fisheries sector. As I said, we saw a 15% hit to our national quota as a result of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. That had a disproportionate impact on Ireland. I have been to the fore in making clear we are disproportionately affected and in seeking to have that redressed at European level in any way we possibly can. I will continue to seek opportunities to increase our fishing opportunities in any way possible.

In 2023, through the EU-Norway agreement, I secured an additional 4,000 tonnes of blue whiting for Ireland. This provides fishers with a total blue whiting quota of 53,776 tonnes for 2023, which is worth in excess of €13 million. In addition, we secured a significant reduction in the level of Norwegian access to EU waters, and consequently obviously, Irish waters. That downward trend in Norwegian access continues in 2024, where the level of access is reduced to approximately 41%, compared with the 68% in place in previous years.

In addition, Ireland's contribution to the EU's transfer of blue whiting to Norway in 2024 is less than the 4% cap I established in previous years, meaning that more quota is available now for Irish fishers. That has been the track record over the four years I have done these negotiations with EU colleagues and the Norwegian Government. We have each year improved our position from an Irish perspective as regards the quota available to us and have improved our position in reducing the access available to Norway as part of those agreements.

Most recently, at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council last December, I secured a permanent additional mackerel quota-share for Ireland worth approximately €3 million. That is the first ever permanent increase to our quota in mackerel that we have had in Ireland. It resulted in me and my team identifying a potential opportunity as regards mackerel quotas, which had been held up until now entirely by Danes and fished entirely by the Danish fleet. As a result of pursuing that opportunity, we secured that additional €3 million on an going basis. The fishing here this year will amount to just over 4,000 additional tonnes being fished this year.

Sustainability is a key principle of the Common Fisheries Policy, and rigorous assessment is undertaken to examine the implications for Ireland of the potential fishing opportunities each year. The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, ICES, provides the scientific advice used by us, the European Commission and other countries. The waters surrounding Ireland contain some of the most productive fishing grounds in the EU. We have a duty of care to maintain those stocks in fishing them sustainably to make sure they continue to be there in future years. In recent years we have seen an increase in the number of stocks that are fished at a maximum sustainable yield level, with 39 stocks in the past year fished at a maximum sustainable yield level compared with only 20 stocks ten years ago. That is a significant achievement, and it is important for the sustainable availability of fish for our fleet into the future that we fish it sensibly and do not undermine it in the process of doing so.

We have seen tangible progress as regards fishers working sustainably because we have been able to reopen the spurdog fishery last year. Also, for the first time, we have had a commercial herring fishery off the north-west coast, and I want to see that build in the time ahead. That presents challenges as well, however. For example, the ICES advice for pollack this year was for a zero catch in areas 6 and 7. A small by-catch has been provided this year to avoid a choke situation in other fisheries. That step, which has been taken on scientific advice in order to protect that stock to allow time for it to recover and to be fished again, has had and will have an impact on fisheries this year, particularly on the inshore sector.

On wider issues, the House will be aware that this week I announced a public consultation on trawling within our six-nautical-mile zone and inside our baselines.

Five years ago, as the House will know, a transition to a ban on vessels over 18 m trawling in inshore waters, inside the six-nautical-mile zone and the baselines, was announced following a previous public consultation. While this ban had a strong support base, it was subsequently overturned following legal challenge. In view of changes in activity and issues concerning the marine space since then, it is important that this issue is reviewed and reflected on in an open and inclusive process.

I am particularly conscious of our inshore fleet and their dependence, compared with that of larger vessels, on fishing resources within the six-nautical-mile zone. Other issues that need to be reflected on include balancing the management of our fisheries with the needs of the marine ecosystem but also the changes that have come with Brexit, the energy crisis and the climate crisis. The policy context, obviously, has changed since 2018. I encourage everyone now to participate in that public consultation.

Fishing and the seafood sector are massively important to the social and economic health of our coastal communities. I have worked hard to invest substantially in the sector for that reason. I have delivered on the recommendations of the task force, which I outlined earlier. That has seen significant capital investment in local authority piers and harbours. This investment directly supports fishing and aquaculture and provides important diversification opportunities for coastal communities.

Overall, as I said, €305 million in funding has been delivered on the recommendations of the task force. These schemes were designed to support the sector to adapt, to diversify and to maximise value. They include, for example, €34 million on two temporary tie-up schemes, €7 million for two inshore business model adjustment schemes, €45 million in capital grant aid for the processing sector, and €20 million for an aquaculture development scheme. Towards the end of 2023, I secured further liquidity aid of €25 million for the pelagic sector and €7 million for the processing sector. We have also delivered on the task force's recommendation to provide €80 million in support for a voluntary decommissioning scheme.

Along the coast, by the end of 2023, the Government had delivered just under €38 million in funding to support 148 capital projects in terms of small piers and harbours.

Now we are looking towards the roll-out of our schemes under the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund seafood development programme, which will see €258 million delivered through various schemes over the next short number of years.

I look forward to further discussing issues and questions which I have no doubt we will have over the course of this debate. I thank again everyone for requesting and facilitating this debate in the Dáil today.

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