Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 157: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will deal with a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45803/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The December Agriculture and Fisheries Council sets the annual TACs and quotas and fishing effort limits for the following year. Since the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty, any issues relating to other aspects of the Common Fisheries Policy, such as amending the Cod Recovery Plan as set down in Council Regulation 1342/2008 or the amendment of the transitional technical measures Council Regulation No 1288/2009 and Council Regulation 850/98 on technical conservation measures is subject to specific proposals from the EU Commission and co-decision arrangements involving the Fisheries Council and the European Parliament.

For the December Fisheries Council, no such proposals from the EU Commission are under discussion. However, an amendment to Council Regulation 1288/2009 on transitional technical measures has been brought forward by the Commission involving the roll over the current measures in that Regulation to 1 January 2013. I am seeking amendments to this proposal, including changes to the mesh size for fishermen targeting megrim off north-west Donegal. This proposal will be subject to negotiations in the first half of next year and is subject to co-decision of the Council and Parliament and is not under discussion at the December Council.

This year, the TAC and quota and fishing effort proposals from the EU Commission for 2011 are due to be negotiated at the Council scheduled for 13 and 14 December. I plan to attend the Council, as will Minister of State Sean Connick who will have the lead role in conducting these negotiations. The process of preparing for the Council is already underway. The European Commission published its proposal for the 2011 fisheries on 10 November. The proposal is currently the subject of detailed and protracted discussions which will continue over the coming fortnight at EU level with the Commission and other Member States and here at home with industry representatives and other stakeholders.

The Commission proposal sets out reductions to the TACs for many of the fish stocks of economic importance to our fleet and also envisages other measures which will adversely impact on our fishing industry, such as the rearrangement of TAC areas for prawn (or nephrops) stocks in the north Irish Sea, Celtic Sea and the Aran grounds and a proposed regime to cap for the first time fishing effort for the whitefish fleet in the Celtic Sea off the southeast coast.

The Commission is proposing cuts of 50% to the TACs of cod stocks in areas VIa and VIIa, with a view to closing these cod fisheries in 2012. It is also proposing a cut of 25% in fishing effort in the whitefish and prawn fisheries in these areas for 2011, on top of similar cuts implemented over the last two years. It should be noted that the effort cuts would not be applied to vessels using fishing gear that avoids catches of cod.

In addition, the Commission has proposed introducing a separate effort management regime in part of the Celtic Sea, in areas VII f and g. This regime would see a ceiling set on the amount of whitefish effort (days at sea) that a Member State's fleet could exert in these areas during 2011. At present, the ceiling would be set at 90% of Ireland's (and other Member States') effort levels in this fishery in 2007.

Regarding the Commission's TAC & Quota proposal, I am concerned with the level of cuts proposed for cod in VIa and VIIa, the reductions proposed for other fish stocks, and the other measures that have been proposed, as well as their socio-economic impact on fishermen and fishing communities. I am working closely with my Department, with fishing industry representatives and with the Marine Institute and BIM to get a full understanding of the implications of the proposal and the industry's priorities. However, I can assure fishermen that Minister Connick and I am actively engaged, as are my officials, in delivering the best possible deal for Ireland taking into account scientific advice.