John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 345: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the situation at present to stop undersized and berried lobsters being caught and sold; the number of fishery officers currently working here; the number of prosecutions which have been brought forward for the catching of undersized and berried lobsters; if he intends to bring in further measures to stop this practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6954/06]

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

As previously advised to the House, the enforcement of the European and national regulations prohibiting the taking of undersized and v-notched lobsters forms part of the inshore fisheries conservation work routinely carried out by the Department's sea fisheries protection officers. The Department is in the process of recruiting additional sea fishery officers and this will no doubt result in even more attention being paid to the regulation of this valued and valuable fishery.

Inspections and checks are made at the landing places used by lobster fishermen, of lorries that collect catches of lobsters for export and at the storage facilities of those exporters engaged in the lobster trade. The conservation work is generally well supported by the fishermen concerned as the v-notching of lobsters and the routine enforcement of minimum landing sizes for lobsters is seen to have a positive impact on the recovery of the stock. All undersized lobsters detected are immediately confiscated and returned alive to the sea to grow on to a legally commercial size. There were no prosecutions brought forward during 2005 for alleged instances of landing undersized lobsters.

The regulation of lobster fisheries has also been well supported by a poster and information campaign conducted by Bord Iascaigh Mhara, in which fishermen are advised as to the legal provisions pertaining to lobster fishing. The lobster committee, established under the management framework for shell fisheries, is drafting a plan for the management of lobster fisheries in Ireland and I expect this plan, as it will include contributions from all the stakeholders, will prove to be a firm foundation for the sustainable exploitation of the lobster fisheries around Ireland.

John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 346: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if the Irish Naval Service finds gear that is dumped illegally, what can it do to retrieve same; if the Naval Service has the equipment to retrieve said gear; if EU fines will be imposed on member states which fail to retrieve gear; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6955/06]

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The ban on the use of deep water gill-nets requires the removal of such nets from the areas covered by the ban by 1 February 2006. The Naval Service is responsible for policing the ban within the Irish exclusive fisheries zone, EFZ, and monitors fishing activity in this zone to ensure the banned gear is not deployed. New EU rules came into force on 1 January 2006 which require that gill-nets must be marked with the identification of the vessel to which it belongs, which will facilitate the work of the Naval Service in this regard.

Where this type of gear has been abandoned, Naval Service vessels are not equipped to remove them. In any case, this would not be the best use of Naval Service resources given the heavy control and enforcement demands upon it. The recovery of abandoned gill nets may be undertaken by member states hiring commercial boats, as was done by BIM — the Irish Sea Fisheries Board — and the UK authorities in 2005. I will press for co-ordinated action at EU level to build upon this work. It will be a matter for the European Commission to decide whether to pursue action against member states which fail to control the activities of their fishermen in relation to the gill-net ban.