Seán Connick (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Question 180: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food her views on whether the quota system is workable for fishing vessels operating in a mixed fishing area. [2908/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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All current quota management arrangements have been put in place following detailed consultation with industry representatives. I am always prepared to consider any alternative proposals from industry for improving the management of quota allocation.

Seán Connick (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Question 181: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food her views on whether the dumping of dead fish overboard on a fishing vessel will lead to the conservation of fish stock. [2909/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The dumping overboard of unwanted fish from a fishing vessel, usually referred to as discarding, is a complex problem and is a feature of many fisheries, particularly those that involve a mix of species (for example, cod, haddock and whiting). In a mixed fishery, one species may be the target of fishing activity, but other species may be caught accidentally in the fishing gear. This can result in the unwanted fish being discarded. Discarding can also occur for economic reasons, i.e., when smaller, less valuable fish are dumped in favour of larger, more marketable ones (a practice known as high-grading).

Most of the fish discarded do not survive. It is frequently the case that these smaller fish are juveniles of the target species or other species caught as a bycatch. As such, their capture in the first instance impacts on the future reproductive capacity of the stock and on the future viability of the fishery. From a fisheries management perspective, since the amounts discarded are not usually recorded in logbooks and counted against the relevant quota, the real quantities of fish being taken from a stock are not known, and decisions in relation to the prudent management and conservation of the stock are compromised. The issue of high levels of discards in commercial sea fisheries is a global problem. It is already being addressed at a European level, however, through measures regulating fishing gear, such as adjusting net mesh sizes or requiring acoustic devices to be attached to fishing gear. Ireland has been to the forefront in pressing for action on the discard issue in the European Union (EU). During its Presidency of the EU in 2004, Ireland made the theme of "fast tracking the development of environmentally friendly fishing methods a key focus. A major international conference involving EU member states, Norway and Iceland was held in Dundalk in March 2004 to discuss how to reduce discards in commercial fisheries.

Following further consideration of the issue, a European Commission Communication on a policy to reduce unwanted by-catches and discards in European fisheries was presented to Council in June 2007. The Council adopted a range of conclusions on the Commission proposal and these will determine the agenda on discards at European level for the immediate future. An effective resolution of the discards issue will likely require a combination of new policy and technical measures. The development of policy on discards will be driven in part by reviews of existing stock recovery programmes during 2008. Technical solutions are likely to involve the deployment of more selective gear types, particularly in mixed-stock fisheries. Because the dynamics of discarding vary, depending on the characteristics of each fishery, any new measures may have to be implemented on a case-specific basis.

Ireland will continue to press for progress on this issue, and I am confident that significant improvements can be achieved. In addition, the current Programme for Government commits to increasing supports to assist fishermen make the change over to more environmentally friendly fishing gear. I am confident that a combination of technical developments, management strategies and policy changes will assist in reducing the incidence and impact of discarding in the future.

Seán Connick (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Question 182: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if her attention has been drawn to the fact that a fishing vessel which could not operate due to dangerous weather conditions or mechanical failure cannot bring its monthly fishing quota forward to the following month. [2910/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Any restrictions regarding the carryover of quota in various fisheries from one month to the next or from one period to another are in place with the agreement of industry representatives. These arrangements are discussed in detail at regular meetings between my officials and industry representatives and all proposals from industry are, as far as possible, accommodated. I am always prepared to consider any alternative management arrangements proposed by industry.

Seán Connick (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Question 183: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will allow monthly fishing quotas to be brought forward to the following month in conditions where a fishing vessel could not operate due to bad weather or mechanical failure. [2911/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Any restrictions currently in place regarding the carryover of quota in various fisheries from one month to the next or from one period to another are there with the agreement of industry representatives. These arrangements are discussed in detail at regular meetings between my officials and industry representatives and all proposals from industry are, as far as possible, accommodated. I am always prepared to consider any alternative management arrangements proposed by industry.