Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 417: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the position regarding funding for a co-operative (details supplied) further to his meeting with it in July 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28675/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I assume the Deputy is referring to recent correspondence from the Cork South West Lobster Fishermans Co-Operative in relation to funding for the cooperative.

This Co-operative wrote to me in April seeking funding of €50,000 over 5 years for the cooperative, to enable it to continue to fund its contribution towards payments to lobster fishermen who are members of the Co-op and who engage in lobster v-notching. I subsequently met with representatives from the Co-op in July. The representatives outlined that their co-op represented Lobster Fishermen from Seven Heads to Sheeps Head and that they operated the BIM V Notching Programme but were running into financial difficulties due to a general decline in membership. As a result of this meeting I asked BIM to consider the case made by the Co-op.

Under the Seafood Development Operational Programme 2007-2013, BIM pays cooperatives 55% of the market price of berried lobsters presented by co-op members for v-notching by a BIM officer and returned alive to the sea by the fishermen in order to spawn. I understand that this Co-op and some others pay their members the remaining 45% of the market value of the lobster from funds derived from the subscriptions of their members, while other co-operatives do not. Where this other 45% is paid to the co-op member, he or she receives the full market value of the lobster and this makes participation in the v-notching programme a very attractive option for the co-op members. V-notching rates tend to be higher for such co-ops, but this practice also places a great strain on the finances of those co-ops, particularly if co-op membership numbers are falling.

V-notching is a very important conservation measure for the lobster stock. In areas with strong v-notching programmes, the scheme has had a very positive impact on maintaining and increasing the lobster stock. It is very much in the interests of lobster fishermen to maximise v-notching rates in their area in order to ensure the sustainability of the fishery and their livelihoods into the future.

I acknowledge the funding difficulties presented by the Co-op in terms of the scheme. Funding for fisheries is limited and BIM endeavour within its budget allocation to support a range of important programmes and initiatives. BIM has stressed that any change to the v-notching scheme would have to apply to all co-operatives who participate. In such circumstances and taking account of the limited resources available to BIM, BIM advise that this would lead to the budget for the scheme being used to v-notch fewer lobsters, which would undermine the progress of the scheme in achieving the conservation objectives set for the fishery. I am very supportive of the V-Notching Programme and would urge all lobster fishermen to recognise its value in maintaining sustainability in this stock and to participate fully in the Programme.