Written answers
Tuesday, 4 December 2007
Department of Agriculture and Food
Fisheries Protection
9:00 pm
Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 427: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if her Department has fully allocated the compensation fund for tuna fisheries; the cost of this compensation package and the cost to the Exchequer; the number of beneficiaries from the compensation package; the average amount paid to each applicant; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32331/07]
Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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In June 1998, the Council of Fisheries Ministers took a decision to ban drift netting for tuna with effect from 1 January 2002, a decision which was provided for in EU law by Council Regulation 1239/1998.
As part of the transition process to new methods of fishing this valuable species, Bord Iascaigh Mhara provided substantial EU-assisted support to interested fishermen to develop alternative fishing techniques. A variety of fishing gears and techniques were tested and the results of trials undertaken in this regard have shown that it is possible to catch tuna with non-drift netting techniques. Irish fishing boats have been fishing for albacore tuna since 2002 mainly by means of mid-water trawl but also with trolling.
In 2003 and 2004 BIM undertook trials with a surface longline system in conjunction with the French Coopérative Maritime Des Marins Pêcheurs on board two Irish vessels. These trials, however, showed this method not to be economically viable due to the poor catch rates achieved.
BIM continues to work on improving our understanding of this species. During 2005 BIM undertook trials in conjunction with a Spanish research institute (AZTI) and the Irish South and East Fish Producers Organisation in order to improve our understanding of the migratory and daily patterns of movement of this species.
During 2006 and 2007 BIM have continued this tagging programme in conjunction with an effort to assess the possibility of developing other alternative methods of fishing including using a dead baiting technique used in South Africa. Further work is planned with this method in 2008. BIM is also carrying out new product development trials on albacore tuna in association with local processors in order to develop new value added markets.
The aid package put in place in 1998 was specifically designed to facilitate the development of alternative fishing techniques to drift netting. No funding was allocated to the Irish fleet as compensation for the introduction of the ban on the use of driftnets.
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