Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 327: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if all EU countries are compliant with EU fish quota restrictions; the reason such restrictions appear to impact more here than in other EU jurisdictions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27520/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The EU Commission is the body legally responsible for monitoring compliance by Member States with fish quota allocations. Where a Member State has breached a quota allocation for a stock in a particular year, in the normal course the provisions of Council Regulation 847 /96 introducing additional conditions for year to year management of TACs and quotas are applied. In this regard, where catches of a particular stock are exceeded by a Member State, that amount is deducted from that Member State's quota for the following year. In addition, the EU Commission may take infringement proceedings against a Member State where it considers that the Member State is not properly managing its quotas and where it is not ensuring that the limits set are being respected.

It is the responsibility of each member state to manage its own quotas taking into account their own national circumstances. In the current environment, where stocks are under pressure and quotas are declining most Member States find the management of quotas to be an increasing challenge. A number of Member States, including the UK, France and Denmark have introduced schemes to permanently reduce their fishing fleets in order to bring fleets into balance with available quotas in recent times. A important objective of fleet decommissioning schemes is to increase the quantum of quota available to the remaining vessels in the fleet.

I have sought EU approval so that I can introduce a new decommissioning scheme to remove excess capacity from Ireland's whitefish fleet in accordance with the recommendations of the Cawely report "Steering A New Course — Strategy for A Restructured, Sustainable and Profitable Seafood Industry 2007-2013". I hope to be in a position to launch this scheme in the near future.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 328: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the reason the fishing industry here appears to have lost out on fishing quotas in comparison to other EU States; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27521/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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In relation to quota allocations, you are no doubt aware that Ireland's shares of the main fish stocks were set in the early 1980's when fish stocks were being shared out between Member States. The share allocations were based on catch records and reflect the fishing levels by the Irish fleet at that time. Since then it has been a priority of successive Ministers with responsibility for the fisheries brief to have these shares improved. In 1992 and 2002, the Common Fisheries Policy was reviewed and in both cases substantial efforts were made to push Ireland's case for increases shares of important stocks without success. Ireland received no support from other Member States for changes in the allocation keys for the share out of stocks. The practical reality is that to achieve an increase in Ireland's share of Total Allowable Catch (TACs), other Member States would have to take a cut in their share. This is all the more difficult to achieve when TACs of all the main commercial species are falling and the reality is that achieving a qualified majority for such an outcome at the Fisheries Council is not deliverable.

The reform package, agreed in December 2002, included key national priorities such as the continuation of the Hague quota preferences, an action plan to address the problem of juvenile fish catches, stronger control and enforcement and new Regional Advisory Councils giving fishermen a strong voice in shaping future fisheries policy at EU level.

It is important to note that Ireland has 14 % of demersal/whitefish stocks and 21% of pelagic stocks (excluding blue whiting which is mainly landed for fish meal) in the waters around our coast (northern part of Western Waters). In 2007, this amounted to 35,359 tonnes of demersal/whitefish and 128,806 tonnes of herring, mackerel, horse mackerel and albacore tuna. In addition, Ireland's quota of blue whiting amounted to 35,278 tonnes. The Cawley Strategic report "Steering A New Course — Strategy for a Restructured, Sustainable and Profitable Irish Seafood Industry 2007-2013" sets out a clear strategy to maximise the value of quotas focused on increasing the value of seafood at every stage from the sea to the table. I am satisfied that the effective implementation of this Stategy, which the Government has endorsed, will deliver a a sustainable, profitable and self-reliant industry that will maximise its long term contribution to coastal communities. I am fully committed to working with industry to deliver the strategy set down efficiently and effectively.