Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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1003. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is supportive of reopening spurdog fishing in Irish waters; if his attention has been drawn to the considerable employment potential that such a move would bring; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35475/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The EU Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for spurdog is set at 0 and the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) has advised that the stock is depleted. Spurdog spawning biomass is currently at the lowest observed level, although stable in recent years. Spurdog is a long-lived, slow growing, and late maturing species and therefore is particularly vulnerable to fishing mortality. ICES advise is that there should be no target fishery and that by catch in mixed fisheries should be reduced to the lowest possible level. It recommends that a rebuilding plan should be developed for this stock. The Marine Institute supports ICES advice and further notes that spatial avoidance measures should be put in place to avoid large catches of accidental by-catch. On the basis of the scientific advice, there does not appear to be a case for the re-opening of a commercial fishery for spurdog at this time.