Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
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166. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding fish quotas (details supplied). [14467/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I will take it that this question concerns mackerel. After extensive and lengthy consultations during 2009 and 2010, the then Minister introduced new management arrangements for polyvalent mackerel in November 2010. Mackerel allocations were made available to vessel owners based on track record from the two best years 2007, 2008, 2009.

The policy sets out that 13% of the national Mackerel quota is available to the polyvalent segment as follows: 76.5% of the polyvalent mackerel quota is allocated to Tier 1 and 21% for Tier 2, the remaining 2.5% is available to cover the artisanal gill net fishermen and under 18m vessels with periodic boat catch limits set usually on a monthly or bi-monthly basis. Vessels qualified for either of the Tiers on the basis of having caught more than 35% of the mackerel allocated to them in an average of 2 of the reference years. In order to qualify for Tier 1 allocations, a vessel had to have landed more than an average of 275 tonnes of mackerel per year. To qualify for a Tier 2 allocation, a vessel had to have landed more than 25 tonnes of mackerel per year. These quantities were chosen so as to ensure that there is no general loss of fishing opportunities to vessels, based on track record in the period 2007-2009

Given the long and detailed consultation process which went into development of the mackerel policy in recent years, I consider this matter settled and I see no merit in adjusting the allocation ratios as proposed.