Written answers

Tuesday, 1 December 2015

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Fisheries Protection

Photo of Clare DalyClare Daly (Dublin North, United Left)
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262. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline the penalties in place for super trawlers that switch off the automatic identification system such that they are not visible to the public eye in sea boat traffic; and the steps taken to ensure they operate transparently. [42523/15]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Under the CFP, control of the vessel within Ireland’s Exclusive Fisheries Zone is a matter for the Irish control authorities who monitor fishing activity of all vessels operating the area. The Control authorities have on-going information in relation to the vessels operating in the Irish Exclusive Fisheries zone including their activities and characteristics. Under the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act, 2006, all operational issues of this nature concerning sea fisheries control are, as a matter of law, exclusively for the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) and the Naval Service. As Minister, I am precluded from getting involved in operational matters including in relation to law enforcement.

Article 10 of Control Regulation 1224/ 2009 requires all fishing vessels exceeding 15 meters in overall length to fit and maintain in operation an Automatic Identification System (AIS) which meets the performance standards of the IMO SOLAS Convention.

Monitoring of fishing vessels in the Irish Exclusive Fisheries Zone is undertaken by the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority and the Naval Service using the Fisheries Monitoring Centre which has access to both AIS and VMS data for fishing vessels. The use of AIS positioning data through satellite technology enables vessels to be visible at all times. Public website systems do not have access to the same technology and because of this some vessels’ AIS data will not always be visible on these public websites.

Monitoring of the AIS data for these vessels over the past number of weeks in the Fisheries Monitoring Centre has revealed no instances of non-compliance with the AIS regulations.

Any non-compliances with fisheries regulations in the Irish Exclusive Fisheries Zone will be dealt with under the parameters of the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act, 2006.

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