John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Question 164: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he will include holders of licences for bi-valve vessels in any new decommissioning scheme for fishing vessels; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that many holders of such licences have been fishing full-time for over 50 years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10941/07]

John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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As you know the Government launched in January, the strategic report of the Seafood Strategy Review Group, SSRG, on the seafood industry, Steering A New Course. The report, which took on board the views of fishermen, fish farmers, processors, marketers and other stakeholders, focuses on ten core themes and outlines specific actions to be taken in order to achieve a sustainable seafood industry.

In line with the decommissioning scheme introduced under the outgoing NDP, and the recommendations of the report of the SSRG, Steering a New Course, the emphasis for decommissioning will continue to be on the permanent removal of excess capacity from the over 18 m section of the whitefish fleet in order to support stock recovery programmes and the long term viability of that section of the fleet. The report of the SSRG also recommends investigation of the need for a targeted decommissioning scheme for vessels less than 18 m in the polyvalent segment of the fleet. However, the SSRG report specifically states that the introduction of a decommissioning scheme for vessels in the Specific Segment of the fleet is not warranted, vessels in this segment of the fleet are limited to targeting bivalve molluscs. Based on this recommendation, I do not see scope for the introduction of a decommissioning scheme for this part of the fishing fleet.