Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 320: To ask the Minister for Defence the capability of Irish naval vessels to haul, inspect and store fishing nets from the open sea; and the provision the Navy has made for the recovery of deep sea gill nets which have recently been banned under European Union common fisheries policy. [3387/06]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The main day to day role of the Naval Service is to provide a fishery protection service in accordance with the State's obligations as a member of the European Union. The service is tasked with patrolling all Irish waters from the shoreline to the outer limits of the exclusive fishery limit, which covers 132,000 square miles.

Where a fishing vessel is encountered which is suspected of being in contravention of fisheries regulations or legislation, particularly with regard to the fishing gear in use, then the master of such vessel is instructed to haul its gear for inspection prior to being escorted to the nearest convenient port by the inspecting naval vessel. In port, custody of the fishing vessel and its gear is handed over to the appropriate civil authorities for action.

It is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Communication, Marine and Natural Resources, Deputy Noel Dempsey, in the first instance, to make provisions for the recovery of deep sea gill nets. He has informed me that the recovery of banned gill nets can be undertaken by hiring commercial boats, as was done by Bord Iascaigh Mhara, the Irish Sea Fisheries Board, and also by the UK authorities in 2005. Taking into account the heavy control and enforcement demands on the Naval Service to police Ireland's exclusive fishery limit, it would not the best use of Naval Service resources to undertake this work when it can be undertaken effectively by other means. In addition, it should be noted that Naval Service vessels are not equipped to carry out this task.