Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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501. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of white fish boats that are registered with tonnage and are working out of each area in Irish waters. [42365/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Irish fishing fleet is divided into 5 main segments for licensing and registration purposes. Vessels targeting whitefish are licensed in the polyvalent and beam trawl segments of the fleet. In order to obtain a sea fishing boat licence, the owner must provide replacement capacity (comprising gross tonnage, a measure of volume, and kilowatts, a measure of engine power) from the fleet segment into which the vessel is being licensed.

I am informed by the Licensing Authority for Sea Fishing Boats that 1,473 polyvalent vessels and 10 beam trawlers that were licensed and registered at 31 December 2012 were entitled to target whitefish.

Control of the fishing activity within Ireland’s Exclusive Fisheries Zone is a matter for the Irish control authorities. Under the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act, 2006, operational issues concerning sea fisheries control, such as recording landings, are a matter for the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) and the Naval Service. I have asked the SFPA to respond directly to the Deputy's request by giving landings in Irish ports as a indicator of the fishing activity in the areas.

Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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502. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will consider issuing licences for small inshore boats and white fish boats in respect of monk, haddock and prawns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42366/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The management of whitefish quotas do not generally involve a requirement for a secondary fishing license known as an authorisation, under the determination currently in force under section 13 of the Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006. The exception to this are vessels which are included in the industry led “Monkfish Scheme” and which are granted specific authorisations which set out the conditions of that scheme.

Whitefish quotas are set generally on a monthly basis by way of a fisheries management notice issued under section 12 of the Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006. When preparing for the monthly allocation of whitefish stocks, the representative organisations of the industry, both fishermen and onshore processors, meet each month with my Department and the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority to make recommendations to me in relation to the quota to be allocated in the coming month(s). I am open to consider all proposals from the representatives of the industry on the management of fish quotas.