Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 183: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he will report on the recently agreed deal with the European Commission for partial paybacks by Ireland over a six year period for mackerel illegally landed by large Irish trawlers into Scotland in the years 2001 to 2004; the reason it took so long for the licensing of mackerel fishing in 2007; if he has had discussions with an organisation (details supplied) since that body alleged that Government inaction had seriously damaged the Irish mackerel industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5262/07]

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Following difficult and intensive negotiations with the EU Commission, the EU Management Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture supported a proposal from the European Commission for partial paybacks by Ireland over a six year period for mackerel illegally landed by large Irish trawlers into Scotland in the years 2001-2004.

The pay back arrangements finally secured achieved my objectives. These objectives were to: minimise the impact of the quota deductions on the majority of fishermen who had little or nothing to do with the illegal fishing; set the reductions at reasonable levels (A reduction of almost 9,000 tonnes was secured on the amount outstanding); and spread the reductions over 6 years.

The deal secured will result in a manageable 6.7% reduction in the national mackerel quota this year.

The discussions dealt with how the 34,802 tonnes of mackerel reported as landed illegally into Scotland by Irish vessels in the 2001-2004 period, equivalent to 64% of Ireland's mackerel quota for 2007, should be paid back. I worked hard to secure a deal that would avoid irreparable damage to the fleet and the fish processing factories in Ireland dependent on this important fishery. I explained to the Commission that it was national policy that those involved in the reported illegal landings should bear the responsibility for the situation and that if deductions were imposed to the national quota at too high a level or over too short a period this would have a devastating effect on vessels which were not implicated in the illegal landings and on factories in Ireland.

The opening of the mackerel fishery for the large Refrigerated Seawater Tanks (RSW) Pelagic vessels was delayed until the negotiations with the EU Commission were completed and the details of the arrangements were agreed. The opening of the fishery for this fleet at the beginning of the year in advance of the negotiations being finalised could have compromised the implementation of the policy that the vessel owners reported as having landed the undeclared mackerel are held responsible for their actions. In these circumstances I considered that it was in the interests of those not implicated in the undeclared landings to delay opening the fishery until the terms of the pay back arrangements were agreed.

I would also point out that the delay in the opening of the fishery is likely to have substantially benefited processors in Ireland. Mackerel is found in Norwegian waters at the beginning of the year and migrates south towards the waters off Ireland from mid to late January. The late opening has supported higher levels of landings into Ireland, so far this year some 82% of the mackerel landed has been into Ireland for processing here. Last year when the fishery was opened from the 1st of January, only 64% of the mackerel caught during January and February was landed into Ireland.

I met representatives of the organisation referred to in the question at the launch of the new strategy for the seafood industry, Steering a New Course, Strategy for a Restructured, Sustainable and Profitable Irish Seafood Industry 2007-2013, which was launched on 28 January. I have also a meeting organised with industry representatives, which includes that organisation, for 21 February and have arranged a bilateral meeting with this organisation on a specific topic for 20 February.