Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 27: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will be seeking an increase in quota allocation for Irish fishermen as part of changes to the Common Fisheries Policy. [45211/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The current review of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) was initiated by the European Commission when it issued a Green Paper in April 2009 and sought responses to the proposals it contained. The CFP, which was first put in place in 1983, has been subject to reviews every 10 years. The most recent review was in 2002.

Minister Killeen, who had responsibility for the Fisheries portfolio when the Green Paper was published, appointed Dr. Noel Cawley to chair a nationwide public consultation process. The result of these extensive consultations contributed in no small way to Ireland's Response to the Green Paper which issued on the 23rd of February. The report in its entirety, and all formal submissions received during the public consultation process, are available on www.fishingnet.ie.

Ireland's response on the CFP reform sets down a number of informed recommendations which we believe must be incorporated into the new Common Fisheries Policy. They take a pragmatic approach, promoting measures that collectively take account of economic, social, environmental and sustainability factors important to the Irish seafood sector. The changes we consider necessary include:

New focus on addressing discarding of fish at sea with a complete ban being introduced for stocks in a depleted state;

The retention of a management system based on national quotas supported by increased flexibility and a rejection of the mandatory privatisation of fish quotas or the introduction of international trading of fish quotas;

Access to coastal waters to be re-examined with a view to an extension of the coastal limit to 20 miles with new management arrangements in place to strengthen coastal communities dependant on inshore coastal fisheries;

New measures to strengthen the market for EU producers and increase quay side prices;

Reinvigoration of European aquaculture with continued structural support and a roadmap that establishes a route for growth in harmony with Community environmental law;

New regional structure to decision-making at EU level, with increasing industry responsibility and the development of a culture of compliance.

In relation to quota allocations, the position is that Ireland's shares of the main fish stocks were set in the early 1980s 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.

Ireland's response to the reform stated that Relative Stability (share out of stocks between EU Member States) and its attendant TACs and Quotas, whilst imperfect, must remain the primary community mechanism to manage fish stocks. At the same time, the response advocates that adjustments can be made to the present share out (relative stability) of a number of white fish and pelagic stocks so that the further allocation of Community resources is better adjusted to match today's needs and is seen to deliver increased shares of stocks adjacent to shores for coastal Member States through a range of mechanisms including the improved use of swaps.

Consultation at European level on the review is ongoing, with a variety of meetings being held, including a number of stakeholders' conferences. In May an informal meeting of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers to discuss the reform, both of which were held in Spain. The reform has also been discussed at the Fisheries Council in June. In addition, as soon as Minister Connick was appointed as Minister of State, he attended a bilateral meeting with the Maria Damanaki, the new EU Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs. This meeting was arranged at my request to discuss Ireland's Response to the Commission's Green Paper.

At this meeting and at the subsequent informal and formal Council meetings he advised that we have many areas where we have common ground with the EU Commission. However, he made it quite clear that Ireland does not support the Commission's ideas expressed in the Green Paper which would allow our national fish quotas to be privatised and traded away to large European fishing companies. He stressed that one of Ireland's main objectives in the Reform Process will be to protect the national fish quotas as a public resource to be used for the benefit of our family owned fleet and to support our coastal communities.

Under the planned EU timetable for the review, a legislative proposal to the Council and the European Parliament is expected to be adopted in 2011, with a view to its entering into force in 2012. Nationally, I intend to continue close collaboration with the Federation of Irish Fishermen and the other stakeholders to put Ireland's case forward during the review, to vigorously defend Ireland's maritime interests, and to convince our colleagues in other Member States and in the Commission to strengthen the current policy in line with Ireland's submission on the reform of the CFP.