Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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123. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which all countries throughout the European Union observe conservation measures to safeguard fishing stocks; the locations still most vulnerable in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41994/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The seas around Ireland (ICES Sub Areas VII and VI) are among the most productive and biologically sensitive areas in EU waters. All of the fisheries resource within the area comes under the remit of the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). The new Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) provides the framework for the long term conservation and sustainability of fish stocks around our shores and is designed to ensure the long term sustainability of fishing in Ireland and throughout EU waters.

A key element of the new CFP is to apply the precautionary approach to fisheries management and thereby ensure that exploitation of living marine biological resources restores and maintains populations of harvested species above levels which can produce the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) . This will be phased in gradually and shall be achieved by 2015 where possible and on a progressive, incremental basis at the latest by 2020 for all stocks. This should ultimately lead to healthy fish stocks and more sustainable fishing patterns as more fish are left in the sea to mature and reproduce leading to increased abundance of fish, and over time to higher quotas for Irish fishermen. The CFP specifically calls for the progressive restoration and maintenance of populations of fish stocks above biomass levels capable of producing MSY. All member states must respect the CFP provisions. I am committed to the ambitious objective of achieving MSY by 2015 where possible and by 2020 at the latest.

The EU Commission has noted that the state of fish stocks in European Atlantic and nearby waters continues to improve which I believe indicates that we are finally starting to see the benefits of prudent and responsible fisheries management practices. Scientific information on the state of the fisheries resources exploited by the Irish fleet is compiled by the Marine Institute and is published in the Stock Book each year.