Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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1664. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he expects to be in a position to ensure maximum employment to derive from the fishing industry including the entitlement for Irish trawlers to continue to fish in traditional waters in keeping with established practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28431/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Achieving maximum employment from the fishing industry is intrinsically linked to ensuring the long term sustainability of the industry, both economically and environmentally. The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) provides the framework to achieve these goals. 

A key element of the CFP is the setting of fishing levels on the basis of MSY (Maximum Sustainable Yield). When stocks are fished at MSY it should, ultimately, lead to healthy fish stocks, higher quotas for both Irish and EU fishermen and lead to more sustainable fishing patterns. The achievement of MSY for all commercial fish stocks is being phased in gradually and is due to be complete by 2020 at the latest. This will result in more fish being left in the sea to mature and reproduce leading to increased abundance of fish, and over time to higher quotas for Irish fishermen. This, in turn, will add to the employment prospects for fishermen, the processors and ancillary sectors. 

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 continuing to see the benefits of prudent and responsible fisheries management practices. At the most recent December Council, I was pleased to negotiate a package that secured 233,500 tonnes of quotas worth €280 million for Irish fishermen for 2017. The outcome was universally welcomed by the fishing sector and is representative of the robust health of our fishing industry. 

The ongoing implementation the landing obligation, which began in 2015 will also contribute to an improvement in the state of the stocks of importance to Ireland and will result in increased fishing opportunities for the Irish fishing industry.

In terms of the entitlement for Irish trawlers to continue to fish in traditional waters, the most immediate potential threat is the outcome of the Brexit negotiations.  At this stage it is impossible to say with certainty what impact Brexit will have on the Irish fishing industry as we don't know yet what changes the UK may seek to the current arrangements.

Any attempt by the UK to alter the status quo at the expense of Ireland and others must, and will be, resisted strenuously.  

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

I am also continuing to work closely with my European colleagues to ensure that fisheries remain a top priority in the negotiations to come. Protecting existing shares and access are top priorities for the fishing Member States.  

My overarching goal for Ireland’s fishing industry is to ensure a sustainable, profitable and self reliant industry that protects and enhances the social and economic fabric of rural coastal communities dependent on the seafood sector, while balancing these objectives with the need to safeguard fish stocks for future generations.