Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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494. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the fishery period for the south west herring fishery is due to close in two weeks; and in view of the fact that one of those weeks is Christmas week, with no processing factories or markets open, if he will consider a week in January to compensate those fishing in the area. [54075/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The current management arrangements in place for this fishery, were recommended by the Celtic Sea Herring Management Advisory Committee (CSHMAC). Quota allocations with weekly catch limits are set following consultation with the CSHMAC for each management period, taking consideration of numbers and size of vessels booked-in. These arrangements were put in place having regard to the size of the vessels involved in the fishery and the time of year in which the fishing takes place.

The position in relation to the management of all fisheries, both pelagic and whitefish, is that the quota is managed on a single year basis and under fishing by any group of vessels is not carried forward to the following year for that group. For all stocks, any carry over from 2013, which can be up to 10 % in the case of Celtic Sea Herring, will be added to the national adjusted quota for 2014. In line with policy, the Celtic Sea Herring sentinel fishery will receive up to 11% of the adjusted quota, each year.