Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The December EU Fisheries Council Meeting consisted of two very challenging days of intensive negotiations setting the TAC and quota for fish stocks for 2013. My primary aim from the outset was to achieve an outcome that protected the overall interests of the Irish fishing industry while respecting the most up-to-date scientific advice for stocks of critical importance to our fleets. I am pleased that we have secured a good deal for Irish fishermen at the EU Fisheries Council that will support our fishing industry over the coming year and which is sustainable in terms of the fish stocks on which we are dependant.

During the negotiations an additional 6,400 tonnes of whitefish quotas were secured for Ireland over those proposed in the Commission proposal. At the end of the negotiations which set fish quotas for 2013, I was satisfied to have secured some 36,538 tonnes of whitefish and 180,000 of pelagic (mackerel, herring etc) quotas. The direct value of the total package for the Irish fishing fleet will be €213 million for 2013. The value to the overall Irish economy will be significantly higher when the added value in onshore processing is included.

The quotas finally agreed by Council were very significantly increased from those originally proposed by the European Commission for the 2013 fishing year and despite the difficult initial starting position, where I was facing large cuts in over 30 stocks of interest to Ireland, the result achieved is a good deal for the Irish fishing industry. We have secured increases from last year for key stocks including increased prawn quota in all areas totalling 8,733 tonnes and an increased whiting quota in the Celtic Sea amounting to 6,812 tonnes.

The package of quotas secured will support the economies of those coastal communities which are dependent on the resulting employment created both at sea and in onshore related industries.