Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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247. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has conducted investigations into a super trawler that has been fishing off the coast of County Donegal (details supplied); why the boat is able to fish in Irish waters when Irish fishermen have been excluded from doing so; the steps he proposes to take to address this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41479/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The fishing opportunities available to vessels, including within the Irish Exclusive Fishery Zone (EFZ) for 2015 are set out in TAC and Quota Regulation on a stock by stock basis (Council Regulation (EU) 104/2015 dated 19 January 2015, as amended by Council Regulation 2015/523 of 25 March 2015, Council Regulation 2015/960 of 19 June and Council Regulation 2015/1961 of 26 October). In addition to the TACs and quotas set down each year by the Fisheries Council, under the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), a Member State may also swap (exchange) quotas with other Member States in a particular year. Details of fishing opportunities available to Member States in EU waters in recent years are available on the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries DG website, using the following link:

One of the key elements of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy is the introduction of a phased ban on the discarding of unwanted fish catches. The first part of the landing obligation, the ban on discarding pelagic stocks such as herring and mackerel, came into effect on the 1 January 2015. The EU Commission adopted a Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1393/2014 on 20 October 2014 which implements a discard plan for certain pelagic fisheries in north-western waters in line with the recommendation of the North West Waters Member States Group. A Control Experts Group from the North West Waters Regional Group of Member States has been set up and has produced a draft set of recommendations on additional control measures for the pelagic sector in respect of the landing obligation in pelagic fisheries. These draft recommendations have been sent to the Pelagic Advisory Council and the North Western Advisory Council in accordance with article 18 of the CFP basic regulation (EU No 1380/2013) for their observations. When these are received, the draft recommendations will be considered by the NWW Member States Group.

Control of the vessel within Ireland's Exclusive Fisheries Zone is a matter for the Irish control authorities.  The Control authorities monitor fishing activity of all vessels operating in Ireland's Exclusive Fisheries Zone. Under the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006, operational issues concerning sea fisheries control are a matter for the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) and the Naval Service.