John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 318: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the action he will take to stop the dangerous practice of foreign vessels discarding nets into Irish waters following the Deepnet report, which was produced by BIM and other institutes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34316/05]

Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The practice whereby fishing gear is discarded and left on the seabed and which can thus lead to the occurrence of so-called "ghost-fishing" is in my view a completely unacceptable practice and is a cause for serious concern. This issue is of an international nature and requires an international response in the context of the Common Fisheries Policy. Following the receipt of the Deepnet report earlier this year, I made urgent representations to the Commission expressing concern at the reports findings and seeking the introduction of appropriate measures to combat this problem. I understand that the Commission is reflecting on the issue and I will continue to pursue it urgently at EU level.

John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 319: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the plans he has to introduce measures to protect the valuable Irish fishery resources following the introduction of new fishing regulations to safeguard the Mediterranean Sea fishery resources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34317/05]

Pat Gallagher (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Commission introduced a proposal on management measures for the sustainable exploitation of fishery resources in the Mediterranean Sea in October 2003. However, despite intensive negotiations, most recently at Agriculture and Fisheries Council in September 2005, a regulation has not yet been agreed.

The Common Fisheries Policy is in fact much less developed in the Mediterranean than in other European waters, in particular the waters around Ireland's coast. This is because of various factors specific to Mediterranean waters: the fact that exclusive economic zones have not been generally declared in the Mediterranean due to the lack of an extended continental shelf and the relatively narrow and enclosed nature of the sea overall, which is shared with a large number of non-EU countries; the small size of the vast majority of fishing vessels; and the shortage of co-ordinated scientific advice. The Commission has moved to address this situation through the adoption of an action plan and the aforementioned proposal, but progress has been slow.

The protection of Irish fishery resources is pursued through the Common Fisheries Policy. This framework provides for the conservation and rational exploitation of fisheries resources through a range of instruments such as total allowable catches, TACs, recovery plans, technical conservation measures and the western waters effort regime. Ireland continues to be at the forefront in promoting effective measures in this context.