Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputies for seeking the opportunity for statements on fisheries. I am pleased to discuss the important issues concerned affecting the fisheries sector.

I wish to reassure the House that as Minister of State with responsibility for fisheries and the marine, I recognise the importance of maintaining a vibrant fishing sector, both for the communities that rely on it and, indeed, the wider economy. The Programme for Government 2025: Securing Ireland's Future reflects this approach by committing to securing a sustainable future for the fisheries sector while supporting coastal communities that rely on this activity for their livelihood. My appointment, as a dedicated Minister with responsibility across fisheries and the marine to co-ordinate and integrate these key policy areas, clearly demonstrates the commitment of the Government to this sector.

Our seas are a national asset that provide a wide range of commercial and societal benefits and through activities such as commercial fishing and aquaculture, but also through their contribution to transport, tourism, recreation, renewable energy and cultural heritage, also play a vital role in supporting marine life and biodiversity for a healthy planet. An important feature of my role in the Department relates to marine protected areas and I am anxious to progress with that. We can have that discussion on another day under the environment side of the Department that I addressed there.

Bord Iascaigh Mhara, BIM, business of seafood report 2024 offers a comprehensive assessment of the economic impact of the seafood sector. The report tells us that the Irish seafood industry is valued at €1.24 billion, an increase of 4% on 2023, it employs almost 8,000 people directly across fishing, aquaculture and processing, and a total of almost 17,000 people when indirect employment is included.

Fish landings in Ireland were valued at €461 million in 2024. While €325 million came from Irish vessels, €136 million came from non-Irish vessels. The report shows a value growth of 25% in the aquaculture sector which is also encouraging.

Within aquaculture, much of that increase is related to the increase in the value of the stock. I have noticed over the past number of years that there has been a reduction in the volume produced and I want to work with colleagues to try to ensure that we can get some of these production levels back up again which will be of benefit to our coastal communities and to the economy generally.

These metrics clearly demonstrate the resilience of the sector despite significant challenge in recent years and its capacity to pivot and adjust to a changing environment. This progress would not be possible without strategic and well-targeted investment, both public and private, and through the seafood development programme, the Government is delivering essential support to strengthen competitiveness, sustainability and employment across the sector.

In addition, targeted supports, funded through the Brexit adjustment reserve, helped the sector to navigate the unprecedented challenge of Brexit. Total Government spend across the seafood sector over the five-year period 2020 to 2024 was in excess of €800 million. This included investment of almost €160 million in State-owned public marine infrastructure. This funded a comprehensive range of supports to mitigate the impacts of Brexit and enable the sector to adjust to operating post-Brexit. Many of these supports were the result of the recommendations of the seafood task force, to which industry representatives made a valuable contribution.

I do not underestimate in any way the impact that Brexit has had on the seafood sector. We had the opportunity this morning to have a discussion on the first occasion with the committee. I share the concerns of the sector. I fully recognise the very significant impact that it has on those in the catching and processing sectors and that will inform the work of the Department and myself and the Government over the years ahead.

More generally, funding for supports for the commercial seafood sector are provided under the Seafood Development Programme, SDP. That programme is co-funded by the Irish Government and the European Commission under the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund, EMFAF, 2021-2027. Schemes for industry under the SDP are primarily implemented by BIM. Bord Bia also provides funding to industry through that SDP to assist seafood processors to attend international trade shows and market-study visits to carry out consumer and market research. I had the pleasure to attend, along with 23 or 24 from that sector, a recent seafood fair in Barcelona. I am committed to continuing that effort, on behalf of the sector and the country, of attending those trade missions whenever they arise, notwithstanding the impact has on the work programme. The Department and I are committed to supporting the industry in every way possible.

Separately to the SDP, the Department also funds supports and services provided by Bord Bia to the agrifood sector, including seafood. These, in particular, marketing innovation, new product development, etc., are accessed by seafood processors. Funding supports are also provided to the commercial seafood sector by Enterprise Ireland and by Údarás na Gaeltachta. Fourteen schemes will be implemented by BIM this year on behalf of our Department, again under the SDP. The majority of these are co-funded under EMFAF and they are Exchequer funded, specifically, the fleet safety and marine tourism schemes.

Many Members will be aware that I have placed a heavy emphasis on personal engagement with the seafood sector since I took this role in February. So far, I have visited three State fishery harbours - Killybegs, Castletownbere and Ros an Mhíl - and some on more than one occasion. I have engaged directly with stakeholders across the board from the catching and aquaculture and processing sectors. I also intend to get to Howth, Dunmore East and Dingle before the end of the summer.

I have met with seafood representative groups, all recognised producer organisations and the National Inshore Fisheries Forum, NIFF, the fish co-operatives, processors and the aquaculturalists on two occasions. I was also delighted to attend the Skipper Expo, which was a great opportunity to meet with so many involved in this sector, to meet the wider community and supported processors at the Seafood Expo Global with Bord Bia.

During European Maritime Day in May, I had the pleasure of visiting Castletownbere again, with the Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Professor Costas Kadis, where, together, we invited all the seafood representatives to join us for a joint meeting. The occasion also provided me with an opportunity to present the concerns of the sector in Ireland to the Commissioner. From subsequent engagement with him, I know that many of the points that were raised by the sector have certainly landed. I met him again on Sunday and Monday of this week, and he was regaling some of the concerns again. That was a useful encounter from his perspective.

The programme for Government commits to publish a five-year fisheries sector strategy that will include an examination of the processing sector and to continue to support and promote improvements in fisheries and aquaculture. To progress this, I have decided to engage a facilitator to work with seafood representative groups in order to identify and articulate issues, priorities and opportunities for the sector and these will be considered when I am setting up the terms of reference for the fisheries sector. I am grateful to Mr. Kieran Mulvey, who is well known to this House, who has agreed to work with us in the Department and with the sector to chart a roadmap on addressing these issues into the future and I will be engaging with the committee on this matter in due course.

One of the issues that is raised regularly is the demand that Ireland change the relative stability key for stocks that we fish. It is important to note that fishing opportunities are allocated among member states in such a way as to ensure relative stability of fishing activities of each member state to catch fish stocks or fishery. This is provided by Article 16 of the Common Fisheries Policy, CFP, regulation and is further explained in recitals at 35 and 37. The committee will be looking at this in due course.

The total allowable catches, TACs, are set annual for most stocks by the Council of Fisheries Ministers and for stocks that are shared and jointly managed with non-EU countries. These TACs are agreed with those non-EU countries. TACs are shared between EU countries in the form of national quotas for each stock and a different allocation percentage per EU country is applied for the sharing out of the quota. This fixed percentage is known as the relative stability key. The allocation of stocks between member states was established as a principle of the first CFP in 1983 and was based on average catch of each member state over a period of reference years. That is referred to as track record, which, I am sure, those of the Members who have an intimate knowledge of the sector are well aware of.

The only exception to this relates to The Hague preferences based on a special recognition agreement of the underdeveloped nature of the Irish fleet and the heavy control responsibility on us when Ireland joined the EU. The arrangement is a vehicle for a limited increase in the annual quotas for Irish fishermen and women. Any change the existing system of quota allocation would require a majority of member states to agree under the qualified majority voting, which Deputies will be aware. This would require other member states to give up existing quota shares. Any change to the relative stability would involve a loss for some other member states and, therefore, pose particular challenges in a qualified majority voting context.

Notwithstanding this, I will use every opportunity to seek additional access to quota for Irish fishing fleet where this is possible. For example, at the Fisheries Council in December 2023, Ireland secured additional mackerel quota share worth approximately €3 million annually for Ireland's fishing industry. This represents the first permanent increase in mackerel quota. This was a highly technical and contentious issue which centred on the allocation and distribution of an EU mackerel quota historically contingent on the existence of agreement with Norway. Denmark had been the sole holder of this quota. However, without an agreement on mackerel being in place between the EU and Norway, Ireland successfully argued that this quota could not be allocated to Denmark, as it had been in the past when it secured a proportion of the quota for its fishermen. In 2024, Ireland successfully invoked The Hague preferences for mackerel and this was the first time that it had successfully been invoked for this particular species.

There is a strong lobby among Irish fishermen for Ireland to receive an allocation of the EU's bluefin tuna quota. Ireland has a national quota for northern albacore tuna. Annual catch limits are set by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, ICCAT. Based on scientific advice, Ireland does not have a national quota for bluefin tuna. The available bluefin tuna quota is allocated each year by member states on based on, as I said earlier, the relative stability mechanism, as established in the late 1990s. At that time, Ireland did not have a track record of commercial fishing for bluefin tuna and, accordingly, did not receive a quota allocation. However, a small bluefin tuna by-catch quota is available to Ireland, primarily for use in our important northern albacore tuna fishery and the Celtic Sea herring fishery where there can be bluefin tuna by-catch.

In 2018, Ireland was successful for the first time in securing an agreement that allowed it to set up a catch-tag-release fishery to contribute to the collection of scientific data for the bluefin tuna stock. This catch-tag-release science-based fishery for authorised recreational angling vessels has been in place since 2019 and supports the collection of valuable data on the migratory patterns of bluefin tuna in Irish waters. This fishery is most beneficial to Ireland as it increase our knowledge of the behaviour and abundance of bluefin tuna while also providing a small, but valuable, tourism benefit to the peripheral coastal communities.

Ireland has made it clear to the EU member states and the European Commission that there is a case for an allocation of the EU's bluefin tuna quota to be made available to Ireland.

The case is supported by data collected in the catch, tag and release science-based fishery for authorised recreational angling vessels. Ireland has requested the opening of a discussion at EU level to progress Ireland's case. Ireland has made formal statements on the matter at numerous fishery councils in recent years. Opening up this issue is difficult as other member states are resistant to any discussion on amending relative stability for the stock. However, I repeat that any change to relative stability would involve a loss for some other member state and therefore poses particular challenges in a qualified majority voting context.

However, the case for a national quota for bluefin tuna is supported by the data collected in the catch, tag and release science-based fishery for authorised recreational angling vessels. I will continue to raise this matter at every available opportunity. In addition to the consultation I have endeavoured to carry out here at home, I am also working my way through meeting ministers with responsibility across fisheries and marine in member states where we can try to build alliances insofar as possible. I will continue that engagement. I know that the committee also has an interest in visiting Brussels or Strasbourg to assist in that endeavour.

A further matter I understand that Members wish to hear about today is the extension of the EU-UK trade agreement. As Members are aware, the adjustment period set out in the original EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, TCA, runs from 1 January 2021 to 30 June 2026. During this time the TCA provides that EU and UK fishing vessels have reciprocal access to each other's waters. After 30 June 2026 the TCA provides that access shall be granted at a level and on conditions determined in the annual consultations. Ireland's perspective was that, given the number of fish stocks shared between the EU and the UK - over 80 stocks - it would not be feasible to negotiate and agree on access to waters and quotas on an annual basis. This kind of arm wrestle on access to EU waters every year would simply not provide our fishermen and women with the certainty they need to sustain their business. Notwithstanding the impact of Brexit, as I said, it is important to recognise that while this certainty does not resolve the problem of the loss, it does give some security in terms of investment by the sector.

Against this background it was also essential for Ireland to obtain the longest possible extension to access arrangements for UK waters and to avoid the prospect of any further transfers in the quota from the EU to the UK in exchange for this access. This was critically important for Ireland as we suffered, as I have said on many occasions, disproportionately on quota transfers in the TCA and we were determined not to lose one more fisherman.

When I entered this position the language from the UK side through all the diplomatic channels was that it was not going to continue to facilitate access to UK waters without further transfer of quota. I made it very clear on behalf of the Department and the Government that was not something we could countenance. We amplified that with our counterparts at Commission level because ultimately the decision was taken, as Members know, by Commissioner Šefčovič in discussions and negotiations with the British authorities.

The fisheries agreement reached last month sees an extension of 12 years for the status quo, to June 2038. This is significantly longer than the four years sought by the United Kingdom and, most importantly, did not involve the transfer of additional quota. If there had been no agreement on these arrangements at the summit, Ireland faced the possibility of losing access to UK waters altogether or the prospect of immense pressure on paying for access with quota transfers in annual negotiations. This would have been an unthinkable outcome from all our perspectives. The agreement to extend the reciprocal access for EU and UK vessels to fish in each other's waters for a period of 12 years with no change in existing quota share is to be welcomed in the main. In my view, it is the best possible outcome we could have achieved, given the circumstances in which this reset agreement was being negotiated. It is certainly a much better outcome than some of the other possibilities. It has delivered certainty for Ireland’s fishermen and women to enable them to make sustainable long-term decisions for their business notwithstanding that was, of course, off a very difficult base that Brexit visited upon the sector. The significant time period covered by this agreement, up to June 2038, ensures that responsible and sustainable fishing practices as agreed between the EU and the UK will continue. This is welcome news for all the fishermen and women who work hard to ensure the long-term sustainability of shared stocks.

I also welcome the commitment announced by President von der Leyen and Prime Minister Starmer on 19 May to the negotiation of an SPS sanitary and phytosanitary area agreement between the EU and the UK. This will be based on dynamic alignment by the UK with food safety standards and rules at EU level. There are long-established and mutually beneficial trading relationships between food producers in Ireland and food businesses and retailers in the UK. The comprehensive SPS agreement envisaged will greatly reduce the administrative burden on agrifood business exporting to the UK. It is important to note that the European Commission will negotiate with the UK on behalf of EU member states. The overall result maintains the strong strategic link between Ireland's food economy and the UK, and reflects the mutual importance of the fishing industry and coastal communities to the economies of both the UK and the EU. I believe the outcome reflects the strong co-operation and unity of purpose between the eight member states whose fisheries have been most impacted by Brexit, with support from the remaining member states and the Commission.

Another issue that is of interest today is Rockall. Deputy Mac Lochlainn and others have raised this issue with me here and elsewhere. Irish fishermen desire to return to fishing in the waters around Rockall, especially for squid. Rockall is a small uninhabited and uninhabitable rock located approximately 160 nautical miles west of the Scottish islands of St. Kilda and 230 nautical miles to the north west of Donegal. Ireland has not sought to claim sovereignty over Rockall. The UK claimed sovereignty over Rockall in 1955 and formally sought to annex it as part of Scotland under its 1972 Island of Rockall Act. The consistent position of successive Irish Governments is that Ireland does not recognise Britain's claim of sovereignty over Rockall. Accordingly, Ireland does not accept that a 12 nautical mile or 22 km territorial sea exists around Rockall. We understand that the UK takes a different view. That might not surprise us. In addition, Rockall and similar rocks and skerries have no significance for generating an exclusive economic zone or establishing legal claims to be the continental shelf. We believe this position is reflected in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provides at Article 121.3, “Rocks which cannot sustain human habitation or economic life of their own shall have no exclusive economic zone or continental shelf.” I assure Members that reaching an agreement on issues relating to Rockall remains an important issue for the Government and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is in ongoing contact with relevant Scottish and UK authorities in this regard. This is an area on which I hope to contribute constructively in the months ahead. We are working on a programme of meetings with respective ministers in other European countries and in the UK. To that end, we will be meeting my counterpart in London on 6 July.

The last issue on which I wish to update the House today is the review of trawling activity inside the 6 nautical mile zone. The programme for Government commits to maintaining support for our important inshore fishing sector and promoting the sustainability of fish stocks. In December 2018 a transition period to a ban on vessels over 18 m trawling inshore waters inside the 6 nautical mile zone and baselines was announced. A significant part of the objective of this measure was to manage the fishing effort of sprat stocks which are primarily targeted within inshore waters. However, the measure was subject to extended legal proceedings, resulting in the measure being overturned in 2023. In February 2024 the then Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine held a public consultation on a review of trawling activity inside the 6 nautical mile zone and baselines. This consultation took place without prejudice. More than 5,500 submissions were received. These submissions, along with updated scientific and economic advice from the Irish Marine Institute and Bord Iascaigh Mhara are being used to inform a review of trawling activity inside the 6 nautical mile zones and baselines. All relevant issues will be carefully considered before a decision is taken. Given the history of litigation to this matter, it is critical that all of the necessary procedural and legal steps are taken before any final decision is made. I add that it is my hope and desire to try to have our position made known before the summer. I am conscious of all aspects to this and of the historical dimension to it in terms of decisions that have been taken previously. However, I am also mindful of the legal complexities and the burden that places on the Department and on the Government.

I will inform the House as soon as we are in a position to do so.

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