Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

Ireland's seafood exports to China are increasing. To give an idea of the size of the market, China consumes 91 million tonnes of seafood every year, of which 70% is farmed. Most regions of the world farm a substantial amount of the fish they consume. This is not the case in Europe which is behind the curve in this area. On the basis of current demand trends, the United Nations predicts that we will need to produce an additional 42 million tonnes of seafood each year to continue to feed the world population. Although this additional amount must come from the sea or water, it will clearly not come from wild fish stocks. We need to try to maintain what is currently described as maximum sustainable yield in terms of commercial exploitation of fish stocks while ensuring they remain intact. We will secure significant increases in volume either by finding new species such as boarfish or through fish farming and aquaculture. The challenge is to achieve this objective in a manner that is acceptable to those who live along the coast. It must also complement our tourism objectives and be environmentally sustainable. The deep sea salmon farming project is a good response to this challenge.