Written answers

Tuesday, 21 November 2017

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Fishing Industry

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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435. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he is taking to protect Irish fishing interests at EU level; the latest discussions; and if he will report on bilateral discussions on same. [48912/17]

Photo of Michael CreedMichael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The fishing industry is a key priority for this Government and my officials and I are constantly engaged in protecting and enhancing the interests of that industry across a wide range of issues at all levels within the EU.

Obviously a key issue is Brexit and the potential implications arising from that but there are also a host of other issues of concern and interest to the Irish fishing industry with which we are constantly engaged.  For example, last week alone my officials were part of EU delegations at international fisheries negotiations in London and Morocco, safeguarding Irish interests in important pelagic and tuna fisheries respectively.  This week and next there will be high level meetings with the Commission as part of the preparation for the December Fisheries Council.

Our full time Fisheries Attache, part of the Agriculture and Fisheries team in the Permanent Representation in Brussels, represents our interests on a day to day basis in both formal meetings of the Council Working Party on Fisheries as well as with the Commission, the European Parliament and other relevant bodies operating at EU level.  

Apart from Brexit, which, as the Deputy is well aware, is the single most important issue facing the industry, there are a host of other ongoing important discussions such as those around new technical measures, regionalisation of fisheries management, the implementation of the Landing Obligation and of course the TAC & Quota negotiations for 2018.

All of these are complex areas but with real impacts for the fishing industry. My aim in all of these negotiations is always, in consultation with the stakeholders, to ensure that we have a profitable and sustainable  fishing industry that will continue to benefit our coastal communities.

I can assure the Deputy that my direct engagement and that of my officials with the issues concerning fisheries at EU level is as comprehensive as it is constant.

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