Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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331. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of licences that have been issued for recreational fishing of Bluefin tuna under EU directive EC 302/2009. [43191/13]

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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332. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on whether the process for applying for recreational fishing of Bluefin tuna under EU directive EC 302/2009 is adequate and in accordance with the directive. [43192/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 331 and 332 together.

The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas is an inter-governmental Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (RFMO) responsible for the conservation of tunas and tuna-like species in the Atlantic Ocean and its adjacent seas. The Contracting Parties and Cooperating non-Contracting Parties, Entities whose vessels have been actively fishing for blue fin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean are implementing a 15 year Recovery Plan for blue fin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean starting in 2007 and continuing through 2022.

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 302/2009 of 6 April 2009concerning a multiannual recovery plan for blue fin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean, amending Regulation (EC) No 43/2009 and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1559/2007 , is the EU Commissions regulation for the implementation of the recovery plan across member states.

The regulation provides that member states must regulate recreational fishing for Blue fin Tuna and sets out the conditions under which this activity can take place, including the prohibition on the commercial sale of tuna, the catch limit of 1 per vessel and the closed season from 15 October to 15 June each year.

Member states must deduct recreational blue fin tuna landings from the national quota for the species. However as Ireland does not have an allocation of quota for Blue fin Tuna, no recreational angling for Bluefin Tuna can take place in Ireland which results in the fish being landed.