Question 188: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the position regarding the restrictions on whitefish fishing off County Donegal, introduced at the December 2008 fisheries council meeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3701/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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A variety of new rules restricting fishing vessels' days at sea in the Irish Sea and the waters to the northwest of Ireland and Scotland were introduced as part of the EU's revised Cod Recovery Plan in December 2008.

The plan introduced a new system of effort management that sets effort ceilings (expressed in kilowatt-days) for groups of vessels or fleet segments. In addition to the restriction on the effort, there is also a restriction in relation to kilowatt capacity and the effect of this is to restrict the kw capacity of the vessels to be granted an authorisation in 2010 to the same level as the total kw capacity of those vessels that were active using the regulated gear and had an authorisation in 2006 or 2007.

The management of the fishing effort ceilings has been devolved to the national level. Member States have received annual allocations of fishing effort for the areas covered by the Plan, which include the Irish Sea (ICES area VIIa) and the waters to the northwest of Ireland and Scotland (ICES area VIa). The effort allocation levels were established by the EU Fisheries Council on the basis of an EU Commission proposal. They were calculated by averaging the fishing activity levels of each Member State in the areas during a reference period of 2004-2006 or 2005-2007 and then reducing that effort by 25% for 2009. A further reduction of effort by 25% is to be implemented in 2010. This methodology means there is now limited fishing effort available for all Community vessels, including Irish vessels, fishing in the designated areas.

Under the plan, each Member State was required to introduce a licensing regime to manage its effort allocations. Any vessel longer than 10 metres overall must have an authorisation from its Member State in order to operate in one of the designated areas using the fishing gears covered by the plan. Member States can decide on the method of allocating their national pools of fishing effort, which are broken down by fishing gear type. Following consultations with representatives of the Irish fishing industry, a pilot system of authorisations and allocations of fishing effort was introduced for the period from 1 February to 30 April 2009. Minister Killeen also established a Steering Group in February 2009 consisting of representatives of the Irish fishing industry, with input from the Marine Institute, the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, Bord Iascaigh Mhara and the Department to advise on how the Pilot Scheme might be revised. Minister Killeen approved two further pilot schemes from 1 May 2009 - 31 October 2010 and from 1 November – 31 January 2010.

Following extensive consultations and meetings of the Steering Group since November 2009, I am pleased to confirm that a new pilot scheme for the period 1 February 2010 – 30 April 2010 has been agreed and approved by Minster Killeen.

I appreciate that the introduction of these new conservation measures are a challenge and present difficulties for fishermen. Bearing in mind the difficulties posed by this regulation, I can assure the house that Minister Killeen, the Department and its agencies will continue to provide support to the industry in relation to the practical implementation of these new measures. Minister Killeen regularly meets fishing industry representatives and fishermen and every effort is made to alleviate the impact of the Cod Recovery Plan in as far as practicable and within the legal framework that has been established.