Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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207. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to review the herring quota for small fishing vessels in the north-west fisheries in view of the impact this policy has had on many fishermen in the region; if he has reviewed the impact of this policy in terms of fish stocks and the local fishing industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12725/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The policy in relation to the distribution of Herring was reviewed and finalised in June 2012 and included a detailed public consultation process. Following that process, an open fishery was established by the Minister in the North West for polyvalent vessels under 20m in length with 5% of the quota in Area VIa South.

I consider that the industry itself is best placed to advise me on the management of fishing opportunities, given the wide range of factors which contribute to the optimum usage of available quotas. In relation to the monthly allocation of fishing opportunities, my Department officials and the representative producer organisations in the industry, both fishermen and onshore processors, meet each month and industry representatives make recommendations to me in relation to the quota to be allocated in the coming month for whitefish and some pelagic fisheries, including the small vessel herring fishery in Area Vla. Fisheries Management Notice No 13 of 2014 which is currently in force has set a catch limit of 12 tonnes for under 20 meter vessels in this fishery for the combined two month period of March and April. This was recommended by Industry on 21 February 2014.

I will ask my Department to raise the Deputy’s proposal with the Industry at the monthly meeting when considering their recommendation on the catch limit to apply in the Under 20m vessel herring fishery in Area VIa for the Autumn, and I will then consider all the issues raised when making my decision on the matter.