Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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342. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the facilities in place for receiving discards, as and from January 2016, when some demersal species must be landed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34028/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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All fish previously discarded at sea, that must be landed from 1 January 2016 will be dealt with by the operators, who are responsible for the fish they catch and land, utilising available arrangments and, as required, facilities in our ports and harbours. However, only a small number of stocks will be subject to the landing obligation in 2016 and the challenge in 2016 should not be as large as might have been anticipated. Those fish which are under sized may not be sold for direct human consumption and I appreciate fully that there will be challenges in managing such landings. In that context, I have asked BIM to work with industry to support new arrangements for management and support, with grant aid, any new facilities needed in ports and harbours.

Following discussions at the Discards Implementation Group, BIM is organising in the near future, a workshop to examine ways of managing and dealing with under sized fish landed. It intends to bring in experts and interested parties to assist in the work. Grant aid under the European Maritime & Fisheries Fund (EMFF) will be made available to support investments or other actions to identify new management arrangements or permissible economic outlets for previously discarded fish. Grant aid funding will also be made available for enhanced facilities.