Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 108: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will continue to lobby the EU for a bigger quota for Irish fishermen in their own waters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25544/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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In relation to quota allocations, the position is that Ireland's shares of the main fish stocks were set in the early 1980's when fish stocks were being shared out between EU Member States. The share allocations were based on catch records and reflected the fishing levels of the Irish fleet and other Member states' fleets at that time. The percentage shares held by each Member State have generally remained the same for over 20 years under the principle of relative stability.

It has been a priority of successive Irish fisheries Ministers to try to have these shares improved. The Common Fisheries Policy was reviewed in 1992 and again in 2002 and in both cases substantial efforts were made to push Ireland's case for increased shares of important stocks but 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 catches, other Member States would have to take a cut in their shares. This is all the more difficult to achieve when the total allowable catches (TACs) of all the main commercial species are falling and the reality is that achieving support for such an outcome at the December Agriculture and Fisheries Council, where quotas are fixed for the following year, is not deliverable. At this point the European Commission and other Member States largely take the view that the quota shares are fixed and not subject to ad-hoc changes pending any more fundamental review of the Common Fisheries Policy.

The next overall review of the basic framework of the Common Fisheries Policy is not scheduled until 2012.

The CFP reform package, agreed in December 2002, included key national priorities such as:

the continued recognition of the Hague quota preferences, which are very important to Ireland as they give Ireland a higher share of certain important fish stocks than was agreed in the 1980's;

an action plan to address the problem of juvenile fish catches;

stronger control and enforcement; and

the establishment of Regional Advisory Councils giving fishermen a strong voice in shaping future fisheries policy at EU level.

Following protracted negotiations at the December 2007 Agriculture and Fisheries Council, a total package of 182,699 tonnes of fish was secured for the Irish Fishing Industry for 2008. This was a significant success given that the initial proposal by the European Commission involved cuts of up to 25% for 25 of the 37 stocks of importance to Ireland. The crucial Hague quota preferences were also successfully defended after a number of Member States attempted to have them set aside. It appears that this system is likely to be challenged again this year and in that regard I want to assure the House that I will strongly resist any proposals to reduce or abolish our entitlements under these measures.

The Cawley 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 net to the fork. I am satisfied that the effective implementation of this Strategy, which the Government has endorsed, will deliver a sustainable, profitable and self-reliant industry that will maximise its long term contribution to coastal communities. I am fully committed to working efficiently and effectively with the industry to deliver this strategy.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 109: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food his views on the practice whereby fishermen are required to dump bycatch which is not covered by a quota; his plans to review this practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25591/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The issue of high levels of discards in commercial sea fisheries is a global problem and is on the agenda of all major international organisations who deal with the development of sustainable sea fisheries and protection of marine ecosystems.

Discarding is usually a feature of mixed fisheries where one species may be the target of fishing activity, but other species may be caught accidentally in the fishing gear. It 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).

The discarding issue is already being addressed at a European level through measures regulating fishing gear, such as adjusting net mesh sizes or requiring acoustic devices to be attached to fishing gear. A new discard policy which aims to stop the practice of discarding is under preparation and a consultation process is currently underway with all the stakeholders. An effective resolution of the discards issue will likely require a combination of new policy and technical measures.

At my meeting on the 18th of June with Commissioner Borg I raised this issue as a priority for me, and for the Federation of Irish Fishermen. While he advised that finding effective solutions is challenging, he restated his commitment to continue to prioritise the current work programme agreed by the Council in June 2007. I will continue to press for progress on this issue at national, EU and international levels and I am confident that, with the co-operation, collaboration and commitment of all the stakeholders, significant improvements can be achieved in this most sensitive area for the long term sustainability of our industry.