Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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3. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider the abolition of the sub-segmentation of tonnage and kilowatts to allow for improvements in safety at sea and better quality of fish landings in the pelagic sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18717/15]

Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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This question is on the sub-segmentation of tonnage and kilowatts in the fishing industry and the potential to improve safety and the quality of fish landings in the small pelagic sector if there were a change in policy to allow them upgrade their vessels.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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It is great to see a fishing question among Priority Questions. The Irish fishing fleet is divided into five segments in accordance with Ministerial Policy Directive 2 of 2003, as amended. The segments are the refrigerated seawater, RSW, pelagic segment which people from Donegal know very well, the polyvalent segment; the beam trawler segment, the specific segment and the aquaculture segment.

In addition, the policy sets out a number of sub-segments of the fleet, including a sub-segment for vessels exclusively using pots, vessels targeting scallops and polyvalent vessels under 18 m in length. The transfer of capacity between the segments and sub-segments is not permitted, and equivalent replacement capacity must be taken out of the segment or sub-segment into which a vessel is being introduced.

For vessels to qualify for either a mackerel and-or herring authorisation, vessels must be licensed with 100% capacity having the required track record as stipulated under the individual mackerel and herring fleet policies.

Fishing capacity is privately owned and is traded commercially, bought and sold independently of the Department and the licensing authority.

A change in licensing policy involving the removal or amalgamation of segments or sub-segments would have a substantial impact on the Irish fishing fleet. The current fleet policy allows operators to introduce new or replacement vessels and to modify existing vessels subject to the operator providing replacement capacity from the relevant segment and sub-segment. The current policy has been put in place over many years and a change, as requested, would impact many elements of the fishing fleet and would require much consultation. It could potentially have significant impacts on access to fishing resources and the management of quotas.

Where the industry, through the recognised representative structure of producer organisations, makes a business case for changes to the licensing policy on the basis of changed circumstance, I would examine any such case. Any amendments to licensing policy that I propose to bring forward will be subject to a public consultation with stakeholders. The Deputy is perhaps speaking about safety tonnage which is not provided for under the new Common Fisheries Policy. If he has specific questions I will try to answer them.

Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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The issue is not increasing capacity or quotas. The vessel owners concerned already have quota allocations and they are not looking for an increase. This is about allowing some of the vessels the ability to go to sea in less favourable weather and enabling them to catch and land better quality fish, which would have an impact on earning capacity.

Will the Minister outline what impact it could have? Is he willing to enter a consultation process on it? Why must it come through the producer organisations? What is the basis for this? A number of vessel owners have requested the Department examine this also.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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We try to have ongoing consultation between the Department, the Minister and the industry. It would be very difficult to do this with individual vessel owners because there are so many competing interests in the fishing industry. This is why it is always very difficult to manage politically. If something is given to one boat another boat will lose because this is a finite resource. The gross tonnage and engine power kilowatt figures are as they are for our entire fleet. For many years as part of the Common Fisheries Policy countries have been required to stay within these limits, so the capacity of their fleet to catch fish does not increase and their quota is limited on an annual basis. The Commission's fear is if boat owners state they will not catch any more fish but want to put in a more powerful engine to make the boat safer it would create increased power capacity to tow larger nets which would create the capacity to catch more fish which is a concern for the Commission. It is trying to insist we match the catching capacity from a power, size and tonnage point of view with the appropriate amount of fish a country should be catching for sustainable catches. The case has been made to me by many owners that if they must steam for long distances this has implications for safety.

Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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I know there is a trade-off and a balance must be struck, but this proposal would not increase capacity because capacity is already there with regard to tonnage and kilowatts in the national fleet. It is a question of how it is used to maximise quality and safety at sea. The Minister has placed much emphasis on safety, and rightly so, but this could and would improve safety for those fishermen already fishing, who have a quota and are not looking to increase it through this measure. I understand the Commission is concerned that a more powerful engine might lead to demand for an additional quota, but everybody knows it will not be available. This is about boats being able to catch and land good quality fish to maximise their income. With a finite quota it is vital for the sustainability of their businesses that they can maximise their income. There have been instances where boats, because of their size and the weather conditions this year, have only recently completed their mackerel quota. The weather did not allow them to get out when the fish were right beside them. They had to steam further to get them. These issues could be addressed with balance, improving safety and earnings without impacting on quota or capacity of the overall fleet.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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It would impact on the gross tonnage and engine power kilowatt issue. I am happy to listen to new ideas and new approaches if it can be done within the confines of the Common Fisheries Policy. I tell farming organisations if we can do things better within the rules they should speak to me about it and we will happily look at it. We are also trying to do this with the inshore fleet at present. Many new initiatives are coming from the new regional forums on supporting the inshore fishing fleet. I suggest this is done through the producer organisations, but if suggestions are made outside of them by all means send them in and I will look at them. I do not want to create an expectation we can go down the road of safety tonnage, which is what was proposed in the past, because safety tonnage is specifically not facilitated in the new Common Fisheries Policy. There are many smart people in the fishing industry who know the rules and parameters because they are frustrated by them a lot of the time. If there are proposals whereby we can make sensible changes that do not involve increasing overall capacity or gross tonnage let me see them. We would certainly look at them and either respond to them or explain why we cannot do so.