Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1212. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will review the way in which mackerel quota is currently allocated by his Department, in the context of a very detailed submission to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine on 4 April 2107 to ensure that problems encountered by some factories will be addressed in an equitable way in order to avert factory closures and job losses in pelagic processing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20147/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy may be aware, I received a request from the Irish South and West Fish Producer Organisation to allocate the increase over 2016 of Ireland’s mackerel quota for 2017 entirely to the Polyvalent Segment on a 1 year pilot basis in exchange for the recipient vessels forgoing demersal fishing in order to gauge the impact on the demersal vessels.

This matter has generated a lot of discussion in the industry and I have received many representations on the matter. After having carefully considered the matter, I decided that, without prejudice, there is a case for a review of the policy on allocations between the RSW Pelagic segment and the polyvalent segment of the fleet, taking account of the request by the IS&WFO. In that regard, I decided that I am restricting consideration to the increased quota for Ireland in 2017 over that in 2016.

It is important to note that I have not made any decision at this time to change the allocations between the segments in respect of this part of the quota. All relevant issues will be carefully evaluated and subject to a full consultation with stakeholders before I decide if any amendment to the policy is justified for the proper and effective management of the mackerel fishery.

The public consultation process concluded on 28th February 2017 and 353 submissions were received.  I can inform the Deputy that the party that made the submission of 4 April 2017 to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine also made similar submissions in the context of the public consultation process. All submissions received in that process are currently being evaluated.

To support transparency in this process, it is intended that all views received on the Consultation Document and/or any clarification provided will be publicly made available on the Department’s website. Following the closure of the formal consultation process, any meeting that may be held with stakeholders will be open to all interested stakeholders that have engaged in the public consultation. 

The case submitted to me by the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine has been made also as part of the stakeholders consultation on this review.  It is important to note, however, that quotas are made available to the owners of licensed sea fishing boats by me in line with the provisions of the Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act, 2006 as amended.  It is a matter for the owners of fishing vessels to decide the port of landing and I have no role in that regard.