Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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Question 346: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will help fishermen by reducing the size of the crawfish they are allowed to catch from 110 mm to 90 mm in line with the rest of Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6691/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Council Regulation (EC) No 850/98 of 30 March 1998 for the conservation of fishery resources through technical measures for the protection of juveniles of marine organisms specified that crawfish of less than 110 mm may not be retained on board or be transhipped, landed, transported, stored, sold, displayed or offered for sale, but shall be returned immediately to the sea. This so-called "minimum landing size" (MLS) was reduced by Council Regulation 724/2001 to 95 mm in 2001.

Ireland was supportive of the original MLS of 110 mm as it helped protect the reproductive potential of the crawfish stock, which had been in a sustained and steep decline in Ireland since 1990. In 1998, the Irish lobster Association Society Limited wrote to the then Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources requesting that a MLS of 100 mm be introduced in Irish law in order to assist in halting the serious decline in crawfish stocks and as a transitionary measure towards the EU MLS of 110 mm, which was due to take effect from 1 January 2000. The Association stated that landings of crawfish were so small that it was imperative that a minimum size be introduced and advised that such a measure had the support of all lobster fishermen. Lobster fishermen commonly target both lobster and crawfish. The industry request was accepted by the Minister and signed into law in 1999 through the Crawfish (Conservation of Stocks) Order 1999 (S.I. No. 244 of 1999).

Council Regulation 724/2001 lowering the MLS to 95 mm took effect from 2 May 2001. My Department and the Marine Institute were opposed at that time to the lowering of the MLS and advised that it offered no conservation protection for the species, which was suffering from severe over-fishing, primarily because of the use of tangle nets. It was felt that Ireland should introduce national measures to restore the MLS to 110 mm. It was noted at the time that the industry agreed with such a measure. The proposal was accepted by the Minister and signed into law in 2001 through the Crawfish (Conservation of Stocks) Order 2001 (S.I. No. 322 of 2001). This was possible as Council Regulation 850/98 allowed Member States to enact national measures for the conservation and management of stocks going beyond the minimum requirements laid down in the Regulation, provided that the national measures applied solely to the Member State's vessels.

While the EU Regulation requires a minimum MLS of 95 mm, I am aware that Member States have enacted various national MLS limits above that figure, so Ireland is not unique is taking such conservation measures. However, I am conscious that continental markets have a preference for smaller crawfish and that this is presenting difficulties for Irish fishermen in maximising the economic return from their catch. In that context, I am examining the matter.