Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 140: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the extent to which she directly or through the EU has identified the cause or causes of over fishing resulting in catch reductions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30448/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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There can be any number of causes for over fishing, but most are either directly or indirectly a result the over capacity of the Irish and European fleet as a whole. With fish stocks declining, leading to reduced quotas, a significant imbalance exists between the available fish resources and the catching capacity of the fleets. Essentially current quota allocations are below economic viability levels if the current capacity levels remain. Such over fishing means that the quantity of fish caught and removed from the stock biomass exceeds the levels that can be fished sustainably. The reduced stock size in future year's leads to reduced quotas. This has been recognised at both European and national level and decommissioning schemes have been introduced in many Member States to take capacity out of the fleets.

In Ireland, the national strategy for the seafood industry as set down in Steering a New Course — strategy for a restructured, sustainable and profitable Irish seafood industry 2007-13, recommends the removal of up to 35% of capacity of the polyvalent and beam trawl segments of fleet (18 metres and over). This is additional to the capacity removed in 2005/06 under the national scheme in place at that time. It also recommends that a comprehensive analysis be carried out to determine the eligibility, urgency, scope and cost of a scheme for the whitefish under 18 metres fleet. In relation to the large vessels in the Refrigerated Sea Water segment of the fleet, the strategy recommends that an industry led restructuring of this fleet be carried out. I am currently finalising details of the planned decommissioning scheme for the over 18 metres vessels in the polyvalent and beam trawl segments, which I hope to launch shortly.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 141: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the extent of the reduction of the Irish fishing fleet catch in each of the past 10 years; the extent to which the reduction here is reflected in the fish catch in other EU countries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30449/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I have set out as follows data for all official landings of Irish vessels in the period 1997 to 2006. The 2006 landings of 267,817* tonnes are 11% below the 1997 landings. This reduction in total landings is primarily driven by decline in landings of the main small pelagic species: horse mackerel, mackerel and herring. The decline in landings for those species is due to reduced abundance, increasing conservation requirements and commensurate reductions in the European Commission Total Allowable Catches available to Ireland.

Over a similar period the total EU landings also show a declining trend. The total EU landings in 2005 (the latest year for which the data is available) were 4.1 million tonnes**, which is 23% below the 1996 landings.