Written answers

Wednesday, 30 November 2016

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Brexit Issues

Photo of Thomas PringleThomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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26. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the representations he has made to his equivalent in the UK in relation to the potential serious implications of Brexit on fishing in reciprocal territorial waters across the island; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37710/16]

Photo of Michael CreedMichael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Brexit poses enormous challenges for the Irish agri-food sector as a whole but there are additional and unique challenges for our fishing industry potentially, depending on what the UK seeks to do. Reciprocal access to fishing grounds and shared stocks is one of those key issues.

Fish stocks are a shared resource managed under the Common Fisheries Policy of the European Union. Nearly all of the main commercial stocks upon which the Irish fisheries sector is reliant are shared to some degree with the UK. In addition, many of our traditional fishing grounds lie within UK waters. Any change to the existing situation could have very serious negative consequences for our fleets.

With regard to territorial waters, that is those waters up the 12 mile limit, the UK and Ireland share certain access rights in the 6-12 mile zone. From 0-6 miles the only reciprocal access relates to vessels from Northern Ireland, which has been subject to a recent Supreme Court judgement. It is not known, at this time, how all of this could be effected by Brexit.

In that overall context, there has been regular engagement at official level with the UK and I will be discussing fisheries with the UK Secretary of Sate, Andrea Leadsom tomorrow in London. Of course, it is important to note that no negotiations can take place until such time as the UK invokes Article 50.

My Department, together with its agencies and stakeholders, has been considering all of the potential impacts, looking at the areas where the greatest risks will arise and on which we will need to focus when the negotiations begin. Ensuring that our fishing interests are reflected in the overall EU negotiating position will be a key priority.

I will remain in close contact with fisheries stakeholders as the issues develop and work with them and my fellow fisheries Ministers in the EU to ensure that we are all fully prepared for what are likely to be extremely complex negotiations.

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