Written answers

Tuesday, 31 March 2015

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Fishing Industry Development

Photo of Martin FerrisMartin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein)
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334. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has made representations to the European Union regarding the reclassification of dogfish to remove this species from the classification of shark, in order to allow Irish fishermen to fish this species again. [13077/15]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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There are two species of dogfish of interest to commercial fishermen in Irish waters. In relation to Spurdog, the EU Total Allowable Catch (TAC) is set at zero and the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) has advised that the stock is depleted. Spurdog spawning biomass is currently at the lowest observed level, although stable in recent years. Spurdog is a long-lived, slow growing, and late maturing species and therefore is particularly vulnerable to fishing mortality. ICES advice is that there should be no target fishery and that by-catch in mixed fisheries should be minimised. It recommends that by-catches should be managed as part of a rebuilding plan, including close monitoring of the stock and fishery. The Marine Institute supports ICES advice and further notes that spatial avoidance measures should be put in place as part of a rebuilding plan to avoid large accidental catches. The Marine Institute advise that, considering the low stock size over the last two decades and the very low productivity of the stock, it is not possible to identify any non zero catch that would be compatible with the Maximum Sustainable Yield approach. On this basis, the EU Commission’s proposal for a zero TAC for 2015 was accepted by the EU Council.

“Re- classification” as suggested by the Deputy would not change the reality of the depleted sate of this stock.

In relation to lesser Spotted Dogfish, this stock is not subject to a TAC and quota regime. It is mainly a bait fishery and was not permitted under technical measures introduced in 2009 to protect the cod and whiting stocks in Area VIa (off the Donegal coast). Trials by BIM, supported by the Marine Institute on the impact of a fishery targeting lesser spotted dogfish on cod, haddock and whiting was prepared and it allowed Ireland to successfully make the case for an amendment to the EU Regulations to allow for this fishery. This derogation was introduced in Regulation (EU) No. 227/2013 of 13 March 2013. The Regulation, inter alia, provided for arrangements to allow for a lesser spotted dog fishery off the north Donegal coast. The fishery is subject to a number of technical measures including a restriction on the area, length of gill net that may be deployed, maximum period of soak time, restrictions on by-catches. In order to participate in this lesser spotted dogfish fishery, vessels over 10m, must be authorised in the Days at Sea Scheme to fish with Gill Nets in area VIa.

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