Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 529: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will pay full market prices to fishermen who are part of the v-notching scheme for lobsters and who return juvenile lobsters to the sea after v-notching; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27853/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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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 some fisherman's co-operatives 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 those areas with particularly strong v-notching programmes, a very positive impact on the lobster stock has been noted. Lobster fishermen in those areas get a much better return for their effort. 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.

Funding for the Operational Programme is limited by Ireland's allocation from the European Fisheries Fund and there are many demands on BIM to provide supports for many important areas of the seafood sector. BIM endeavour within the budget available to support a range of important programmes and initiatives. Taking account of the limited funding allocation available to Ireland, if the scheme was revised to provide the full market price for v-notched lobsters, BIM advise that this would lead to the budget for the scheme being used to v-notch fewer lobsters overall, 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 importance in preserving their future livelihood and to participate fully in the Programme.