Written answers

Thursday, 8 May 2014

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Fish Discards

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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181. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which, in line with EU fisheries agreements, the dumping of surplus catch has been curtailed in this country and throughout Europe; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20596/14]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Dumping of ‘surplus catch’ or ‘discarding’ as it is more usually referred to is a complex global problem where unwanted catches are returned to the sea as a result of a number of factors including quota restrictions, high grading, minimum landing sizes, and market conditions. Levels of discards in the EU vary depending on the size and nature of the fishery.

Ireland has been to the forefront in the drive to reduce and eliminate discards for many years and I was delighted to launch an Irish “discard” atlas in 2011, which is a detailed compendium of discards by the Irish Fleet targeting whitefish on a stock by stock and area by area basis. This was the first publication of its kind and placed Ireland firmly to the fore in the debate on eliminating discards and assisted in advancing the case for a phased elimination of discards as part of the CFP reform package.

Finding practical and implementable solutions to the wasteful practice of discarding fish was a major component of the negotiations for the reform of Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) which were concluded under the Irish Presidency in 2013. To this end I was pleased that agreement was finally reached whereby a practical and phased discards policy or landing obligation will be introduced, beginning in 2015. The phasing in period means that fishermen will have time to adjust and implement changes that will allow for the avoidance of non target species where there are particular problems with the relevant by-catch (such as that the stock is overfished and needs to be allowed to rebuild).

In that context, I have established a national Discards Implementation Group, under the Chairmanship of Dr. Noel Cawley, to advise on the issues arising in the effective implementation of the new policy and to recommend practical solutions and arrangements that take into account the situation of the Irish industry. The primary aim of the group is ensure that the Irish fishing industry are fully prepared for, and engaged in, the implementation of the discards ban.

The work of Dr. Cawley’s group also contributes directly to the work of the regional group of Member States (Ireland, Belgium, France, UK, Netherlands and Spain) who have the primary responsibility in the development of specific ‘Discard Plans’ for fisheries in north western waters. The first of these, for pelagic fisheries, is expected to be presented to the Commission for adoption later this year and will come into effect on 1 January 2015.

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