John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Question 4: To ask the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine the position regarding 16 mackerel negotiations in the North East Atlantic taking into consideration the unanimous recommendation of the European Parliament Fisheries Committee to introduce sanctions against countries fishing unsustainably; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23456/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I have set out for the House on a number of occasions the situation concerning the breakdown of negotiations for the management of mackerel in the north-east Atlantic.

Mackerel is Ireland's most important fishery economically and any threat to its well-being is a matter of serious concern to me. The north-east Atlantic mackerel fishery, if fished within recommended levels, is worth approximately €1 billion, with the value to the European Union as the largest shareholder estimated to be more than €600 million, of which Irish fishermen could expect to receive upwards of €100 million for their mackerel catch. We are speaking about value on the pier side and of course its value to Ireland is much greater when one factors in value added from processing.

I have been to the forefront in seeking a negotiated solution to this problem but also recognise there is little appetite in either Iceland or the Faroe Islands at present to come to the table with realistic demands. In that light, I have been calling for the EU, together with Norway, our allies in this matter, to deploy all effective means to persuade them to fundamentally re-examine their position on the management of this stock.

I have called for and broadly welcome the EU Commission proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council which allows for the introduction of trade sanctions and other measures against third countries engaged in fishing activities which may lead to depletion of the fish stocks shared with the EU. I would prefer if these proposals were stronger than set down and I am seeking amendments to include the flexibility to extend the restrictions to cover all fish and fish products should the situation demand. However, any measures introduced must be in compliance with the relevant rules of international law, and more particularly the rules of the World Trade Organisation, the Law of the Sea and the European Economic Area. The available legal advice suggests the Commission proposal is compatible with international law but suggests that further extension of the restrictions may be very problematic. Any amendment to the proposals, including those sought by Ireland would have to be examined and judged to be in compliance. However, at this point it is important to be aware that we have not received support from either the Commissioner or from fellow Ministers for the extra changes we seek. However, the Commissioner has come a long way to support the Irish position to try to do something significant to get a resolution to the mackerel crisis and I compliment her on this.

When answering previous questions I outlined the numbers about which we spoke with regard to the level of irresponsible catch taking place at present. This is an urgent issue for the Department and me to resolve as soon as we can. Otherwise we will have forced upon us a dramatic reduction in mackerel quota allocation to save the stock.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

The sanctions regulations will be adopted by co-decision of the Council and European Parliament so both institutions first adopt their own positions and then must find agreement on a common text of the regulation before it becomes law. The European Parliament fisheries committee adopted its position on the proposal last month and this is in line with my position seeking stronger measures than proposed by the Commission. The formal negotiations between the Parliament and the Council on the text of the regulation will commence shortly.

From an Irish perspective it is about four issues - jobs, economics, sustainability and fairness. I will continue to made it clear that Ireland cannot accept the Faroe Islands' and Iceland's unjustifiable and unsustainable fishing of mackerel stocks and will pursue all avenues to find a satisfactory resolution.

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister for his reply and remind him that up to four years ago Iceland and the Faroe Islands had little involvement in the mackerel fishing industry. Does the Minister accept illegal fishing, coupled with the legitimate quotas of the EU and Norway, will devastate the mackerel industry and have serious consequences for the Irish industry in particular? What steps will he take to resume talks at European ministerial level? Where will the Gallagher report fit into these talks when they recommence? There is urgency about this issue. The mackerel industry in Ireland is at boiling point. I accept the Minister is doing his best but there is a need for an urgent meeting at EU ministerial level.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Ireland is setting the pace on this issue and we are being supported by other countries and the Commissioner. Talks after talks have broken down when the European Union offered what many, including Ireland, regarded as overly generous solutions for Iceland and the Faroe Islands. Deputy Brown is correct that Iceland has little or no track record while the Faroe Islands have a bigger track record in catching mackerel. Some change is required to the allocation and it is important that we recognise this. Mackerel stocks have moved further north into Icelandic waters and everybody accepts there needs to be some recognition of this. However what is being sought by Iceland and the Faroe Islands is totally unreasonable. Quota management is being ignored and what is being taken is potentially devastating in terms of damage to the stock.

As I have stated previously, we have tried to find a solution through diplomacy and negotiation but it has not worked. This is why we are being forced into a tougher line on sanctions. The Gallagher report adds even more to the sanctions. He wants us to go further and I support him on this. However, it may be difficult to get agreement on it. I understand exactly what he is trying to do and we support him. The bottom line is that there must be consequences for countries managing a stock in partnership with the European Union who choose to blatantly ignore all of the scientific advice on the amount of catch allowed. We need to force a resolution on this because otherwise a resolution will be forced on all of us because the stock will collapse. This would be devastating for the Irish fishing industry because we are so reliant on mackerel for income, particularly in the north west.