John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding the common fisheries policy review; the possible implications for Irish fishermen; when he expects this to be concluded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56051/12]

Peter Mathews (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Before we continue, I must let Members know I had a tasty piece of sole before I came into the Chamber. I hope it came from Dungarvan.

Luke Flanagan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Did the Acting Chairman have a bit of sole or a bit of soul?

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Sole is one of the species whose stock is under pressure in the Irish Sea.

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Acting Chairman should not have eaten it then.

Peter Mathews (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am glad I did something good.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am hoping to get the best deal I can for fishermen next week in a whole series of areas, particularly with regard to prawns in the Irish Sea and area VII generally. As part of that, fantastic work has been done by the Marine Institute. One of the stocks under pressure is sole. I hope the Acting Chairman feels guilty now.

Peter Mathews (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I am sorry to have added to the pressure.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I hope he enjoyed it because it might be the last one he gets.

Peter Mathews (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

It was lovely and I recommend it.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Deputy Browne has been in this ministry before and will know the preparation required for the negotiations on total allowable catches, TACs, and fishing quotas. These preparations have been completed this year in an impressive manner.

There has been much talk about getting the reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy done during the Irish EU Presidency. I am equally focused on the Common Fisheries Policy. We want to get a deal for all countries but one that will also shape policy to ensure the Irish industry can survive and grow. One of the key issues under discussion is how we deal with discards.

At the moment in many of our fisheries up to 40% or 50% of the fish caught are being dumped over the side, dead. They are either juvenile fish or in some cases adult fish. We need and we will find solutions to that and I hope the industry will work with me in the change process.

We are moving towards what is termed maximum sustainable yield in how we determine quotas each year. The idea is that there is a set formula now based on data collection and linked to total allowable catch which can measure what a fish species can take in terms of the amount of fish caught each year to ensure that the stocks can survive and grow. We are trying to apply maximum sustainable yield, MSY, calculations to as many of the stocks as we can and to have enough data to do that by 2015. We are trying to apply it to all the stocks with sufficient data by 2020. That is part of the programme.

The other issue relates to regionalisation of decision making. This is something we are supportive of because we are keen to see countries fishing in Irish waters making decisions on the management of stocks in Irish waters rather than others, but we also want the protection of the Commission to ensure that Ireland does not get outvoted or outnumbered in a regionalisation structure on decision making. For example, we want to avoid a scenario whereby the French and Spanish could gang up on Ireland and make decisions on fish stocks in Irish waters. That would be unacceptable. Only when there is a unanimous decision on a regionalised decision-making process will we support it. Otherwise we want to be able to go back to the Commission, which is essentially there to support small nations.

The challenge is to find common ground with the European Parliament. I will spend a good deal of time in Brussels talking to people in the European Parliament about how to ensure that the Council, which is represented by Ministers, and the European Parliament can come together in a co-decision process to find a compromise position on the future of the fishing industry and to try to get that job done by the end of June next year. I believe it will be possible to do it but it will be demanding.

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for his detailed reply and I wish him well at the negotiations in Brussels next week. I imagine he will have the fishermen and the fishery organisations in tow. It is important to the 11,000 people employed in the fishing industry around the country that the Common Fisheries Policy review leans towards Irish fishermen. They believe that in the past they have not got the best possible deals. Does the Minister believe he will be in a position to conclude the review during the term of the Irish EU Council Presidency?

The Minister has been pursuing the issue of discards, among other issues, since he came to the Ministry. Does he have any other countries on board supporting him on the issue of discards?

In the area of regionalisation one size does not fit all for Irish fishermen but it is an important issue on the agenda.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

We worked hard during the Danish EU Council Presidency, which was before the current Cypriot Presidency, to get a Common Position on discards by the end of the Presidency, which was the end of June this year. There is a basic agreement in principle on how to address discards. However, dealing with the pelagic sector is different from dealing with the whitefish sector and there is a recognition of this, in particular in the whitefish sector, in which there are mixed fisheries. For example, off the south coast of Ireland at Dunmore East if one is catching cod, one is also likely to catch haddock and whiting in the same net. When adult fish species are the same size and a fisherman has a quota to catch two types but not the third, what does he do when he catches all three in the one net? These are complex problems that we must try to solve through more technical measures and more targeted fishing gear. It is one thing to deal with the juvenile fish issue. One can deal with it through measures such as mesh size to allow smaller fish to escape, but in mixed fisheries where one is likely to catch multiple species in the one net because the fish are roughly the same size there are complex problems relating to the management of discards. We are trying to find flexible ways of doing that, minimising discards and ultimately eliminating them altogether. I believe we will be able to do that.

It will be possible to do this before June but it will be challenging because there are deep divisions on some of these issues between member states, some of which are driven by the sustainability arguments while others are driven by the fishing industry. I maintain that they have a common interest and it will be our job during the Irish Presidency to try to bring the two sides together and to agree compromise positions.