Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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515. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the contingency plans in place to safeguard Irish fishermen and the coastal communities that depend on this sector for employment and exports in view of Brexit; the objectives of Ireland in any future European discussions with the UK with respect to the common fisheries policy, including quotas, total allowable catches and maximum sustainable yields; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5514/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Brexit poses enormous challenges for the Irish fisheries sector and our coastal communities reliant upon that sector. That is why,  last week (1 February), I hosted a dedicated Civic Dialogue on the potential impacts of Brexit for the seafood sector. This was very well attended by stakeholders from across the industry and gave a clear insight into the real dangers that Brexit poses, and involved an examination of the worst case scenario of  a 'hard' Brexit for sea fisheries.

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. Loss of access to fishing grounds and possible reductions in existing quotas were clearly identified at the event last week as the main threats facing the industry.

I will be unequivocal in opposing any dilution of our existing EU quota shares, including protecting the benefit to Ireland of the Hague Preferences, and any limitations on our existing rights of access. 

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 have established a dedicated Brexit unit in my Department, and a consultative committee of stakeholders has been convened in order to ensure a full exchange of information as negotiations proceed. 

My officials are in constant contact with their counterparts in the European Commission and have recently met with the Director General of Fisheries to impress upon him Ireland’s key interests in the upcoming negotiations.

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.  

For the sake of clarity, I would just note that these negotiations will  not be a renegotiation of the Common Fisheries Policy. The CFP remains in place and will be up for review from 2019 with the review and any agreed changes due to be concluded by 2022.  By the time that process begins, the UK will, in all probability, have left the EU and so will not be party to the negotiations on a new CFP.

At this time we do not know the kind of relationship that the UK want with the EU in terms of fisheries post -exit. When we know what the UK is seeking, we will, as I have said work closely with our EU partners with a view to seeking  a new relationship with the UK.

Ireland is fully committed to managing stocks sustainably and achieving fishing mortality at Maximum Sustainable Yield by 2020 at the latest. I would expect that the UK, who committed to this principle in the 2013 revised Common Fisheries Policy, will continue to do so, but they will not be legally obliged to do so unless they maintain the objective in their domestic legislation.