Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 314: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if in the context of fishery policy reform each country within the EU has been sufficiently penalised commensurate with the degree to which they have eroded the various fish stock species; if her attention has been drawn to the view that some of the perpetrators have not been penalised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13274/08]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Fish stocks are managed under the Common Fisheries Policy in order to provide a sustainable and viable industry going forward. Overfishing of any stock acts against its ongoing viability and as such it is an underlying principle that amounts in excess of quota taken from a stock must be paid back to that stock as soon as possible. Council Regulation 2371/2002 of 20 December 2002 on the conservation and sustainable management exploitation of fisheries resources under the Common Fisheries Policy lays down the procedure to be followed if the annual fishing quota is exceeded by any Member State.

I have had particular concerns that, in relation to the overfishing of blue fin tuna by certain Member States in 2007, the provisions for payback were not applied in the manner set down and I made by views in this regard very clear at Council.

I have consistently argued procedures for pay back must be applied to all Member States on an even- handed basis, and I will continue to press for such equity. I am confident that this view is shared by the majority of other Member States.