Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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5. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide an update on the negotiations on the Common Fisheries Policy which took place at the meeting of the Agricultural and Fisheries Council, AGRIFISH, on 15 and 16 December 2014. [48484/14]

Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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At its meeting on 2 December, the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine discussed with the Minister the proposals from the Commission regarding the future of Irish fishing, cuts in quota and so forth. Following his negotiations at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 15 and 16 December, is the Minister satisfied he got the best deal possible for the Irish fishing industry into the future?

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I am satisfied we got the best deal possible for Irish fishermen. It is not the perfect deal, but it is a very significant improvement on where we were three days ago. In terms of fish landed value, we went into the negotiations standing to lose more than €18 million in the whitefish sector alone, which accounts for the vast majority of fishermen. We have come out of the negotiations with the value of quota for landed fish for next year increased by some €1.5 million. These are independent figures compiled by Bord Iascaigh Mhara on the basis of current fish prices. In other words, we have gone from minus €18 million to plus €1.5 million.

The greatest priority for us going into the negotiations was the prawn catch, or nephrops as they are known in fishing terminology. Half of our whitefish industry in income terms is accounted for by prawns. The catch is worth €59 million each year in an industry that will have an overall value next year of €123 million. Half of its total value is comprised of one stock, in other words, and almost every fishing community has an interest in that stock, from Rossaveal right around to Howth and encompassing the whole of the south, south-west and east coasts. The proposal from the Commission was for a 14% reduction in prawn quota. We got a deal for a 3% increase, which will raise the value of the prawn catch next year to just over €60 million.

We also achieved significant progress in other areas, with a very positive outcome for fishermen in the west, north west and north. In the case of hake, for instance, a proposed reduction has been turned into a significant increase. We succeeded in changing substantial proposed reductions in megram and monkfish to a roll-over position, which means we get the same quota next year. Likewise, in the case of skates and rays in the Irish Sea, which is a very important fishery for us, a proposed 20% reduction is now a roll-over.

The one problem area is the Celtic Sea mixed fishery for cod, haddock and whiting. Going into these negotiations, the Commission was proposing a 64% cut in cod quota, a 41% cut in haddock quota and a 14% cut in whiting quota.

The outcome has been a cut of roughly 12% in respect of each of those stocks.

We have won these arguments and made them on the back of science. Therefore, we are not taking irresponsible decisions to try to be popular with the fishing industry. We have made good decisions on the back of science and conservation measures that the industry has bought into. This is a good outcome. There are some challenges with the Celtic Sea, of course, but on the whole this is a much better deal than many were expecting.

Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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I commend the Minister on his work, and also the industry, which played a very positive role. The Northern Ireland Minister, Ms Michelle O'Neill, also played a very positive role.

The Minister, Deputy Coveney, mentioned the cuts for the Celtic Sea affecting haddock, cod and whiting, and their effect in the areas in question. Are the cuts on an annual basis?

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Yes. Just for next year.

Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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Just for next year. Can the Minister renegotiate after next year?

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Every December we renegotiate.

Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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Those of us from coastal communities realise the added value of fisheries in coastal communities such as Kilmore Quay, where everybody is tied in to onshore work in factories and small shops. They are all benefiting from the cod, haddock and whiting fisheries. Can the Minister assure us today that the quotas can be renegotiated after a year?

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Yes.

Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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What is the position on discards? Will the Minister give us his views on that and on how the industry in question will be affected?

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Celtic Sea fishery is a really complex one. There are species other than cod, haddock and whiting caught in the Celtic Sea on which we have had good news, but the cod, haddock and whiting fishery is a big one, particularly in respect of the whiting element as we have a bigger quota than France and the United Kingdom, who share the fishery with us. The industry took the initiative here and said it would introduce conservation measures. It is effectively putting escape hatches in nets for small fish, which is the correct and responsible thing to do. On the back of that initiative, it has got a better deal in terms of quota.

With the Marine Institute, we got up-to-date science on the cod stock, in particular. A 64% reduction in the cod quota was proposed for next year, which would have been devastating for the industry. However, on the back of the science, the recommendation was for 26%. This totally changed the discussion. Therefore, the combination of the new science coming from the Marine Institute and the new conservation measures, involving the changing of the gear we use by introducing a 120 sq. mm mesh panel, which is essentially like a sunroof slotted into a net that allows juvenile fish to swim out, allowed us to change the conversation totally. While we had to introduce cuts, they were much more modest than would otherwise have been the case.

We are seeing strong recruitment on the ground at present for both cod and haddock in the Celtic Sea. I anticipate this will give us improved quotas over the next couple of years.

I acknowledge that Minister Michelle O'Neill had a good input, particularly in respect of prawns. We share a very important prawn fishery with Northern Ireland in the Irish Sea. The Minister made a very strong argument on moving from a -14 position to +3 position. She was very helpful on that.

Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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I have been lobbied continuously on the traditional swap between Ireland and Belgium in respect of the plaice quota in area VII, f and g. Perhaps the Minister will be able to answer my question on this. The figures I have indicate that the quota received for 2013 was 197 tonnes. Belgium was given 125 tonnes in a swap, which left 72 tonnes for the Irish vessels. In 2012, the quota was 197 tonnes, again with 72 tonnes left for the Irish vessels. In 2011, the quota was 200 tonnes, with 126 tonnes given to Belgium, leaving 74 tonnes for the Irish vessels. What is the meaning of the traditional swap? Do we get something in return from Belgium?

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Yes.

Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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What do the Irish fishermen get in return?

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I did not get a chance to mention the discards issue for next year. We are about to change fundamentally the way in which we fish, for the better. This was negotiated, I am glad to say, by Ireland during the Irish Presidency in a new Common Fisheries Policy. We are introducing, from 1 January, which is in a few weeks, an obligation to land all pelagic fish. This time next year, we will be introducing the obligation to land for the whitefish sector. We need to work and are working with the industry to bring that about because it will be good news for everybody. It means we will not be dumping hundreds of thousands of dead fish into the sea because fishermen do not have a quota to land them in port. That will be history, I am glad to say. We are figuring out a practical way of making progress on the discards ban at present.

On the swap issue, every year we swap with other countries, including Belgium, and particularly France because it has a lot of quota. We decide on the fish that are valuable to our industry in respect of which we need to get a larger quota and what fish we could swap that are of less value to our industry in order to get those valuable stocks. I assure the Deputy that we get something back every time we swap. In general, we get back something more valuable to our industry than what we are giving. Swapping occurs all the time. We have a very good relationship with France and Belgium. They are seeking extra quota for flatfish, in particular, and we may well be looking for more prawns or other whitefish. We negotiate this with the industry and do not make a unilateral decision in the Department to swap. We ask fishermen and the fishing industry representatives what they are looking for and where the pressure points are and we swap accordingly.

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Ceann Comhairle)
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The best traders in the world.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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It is trade.