Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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385. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the recommendations of the 2014 report on promoting sustainable rural coastal and island communities by the Joint Sub-Committee on Fisheries that have been implemented to date; the recommendations of the report that have yet to be implemented; the reason for the delay in that regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52776/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The Sub-Committee report to which the Deputy refers made a number of recommendations which concerned a range of Government policies including natural resources, marine safety and social protection.  I intend to address progress on aspects relevant to my remit as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. 

A number of the recommendations have been superseded by initiatives which have taken place. 

In relation to representation structures for the industry for instance, the National Inshore Fisheries Forum (NIFF) and Regional Inshore Fisheries Forums (RIFFs) provide arenas for inshore fishermen to develop proposals on inshore fisheries management, including compliance and data gathering. The NIFF is representative of the fishing boats of less than 12 m overall length in the fishing fleet.  The focus on the NIFF work programme is on fisheries management in the coastal waters within 6 nautical miles.  The NIFF is taking the lead in setting priorities for policy development including ongoing work in developing a dedicated strategy for the inshore sector. 

To date, the twelve NIFF meetings have led to very constructive two-way conversations on issues of mutual concern, industry priorities, emerging policies & initiatives.NIFF members are now included on a number of fisheries consultative structures including the Quota Management Advisory Committee, the Industry Science Fisheries Partnership, the SFPA Consultative Committee, the EMFF Operational Programme Monitoring Committee and BIM/Bord Bia Market Advisory Group.  This gives the inshore sector a role in making recommendations on range of fisheries policy matters including on allocation of Ireland’s quotas, on data collection and scientific research.  Perhaps most important of these is that the NIFF now has a say on how funding is utilised including through the Inshore Fisheries Conservation Scheme.

The Sub-Committee’s report refers to managing the lobster and shrimp fisheries.  Changes came into effect in 2014 regarding the management of these fisheries, following on from an extensive consultation process.  In more recent times lobster in particular has been a feature of the agenda of the meetings which I have had with the NIFF and I look forward to a discussion with NIFF on the review of the effectiveness of the current conservation measures in 2018. 

With regard to the mackerel quota, there has been a change to the way this is allocated.  For 2017 and future years, the 87% to 13% share out of the quota between the Refrigerated Sea Water (RSW) pelagic fleet and polyvalent segment of the fleet will remain unchanged.  Where Ireland’s quota exceeds 90,000 tonnes, the quota shall be shared on a 80% to 20% basis between the pelagic and polyvalent fleet.  A minimum of 2% of the mackerel quota, or 1,000 tonnes, whichever is the greater will be deducted annually for demersal swaps before any share out between segments is undertaken.

There is an open mackerel fishery for vessels under 18 metres in length.  An amount of 2.5% of the overall polyvalent Mackerel Quota has been set aside for this fishery and a monthly catch limit is used.  This catch limit is recommended each month by the Whitefish Quota Management Advisory Committee which consists of fishing industry representatives. For 2017, under 18 m Boats may fish 5 tonnes per month.  In the last number of years much of this quota has remained under-utilised.

The sub-committee made a recommendation with regard to “minor fishing infractions”.  In November 2014, my Department published a public consultation document in the form of a Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA)  of a proposal for a Bill to amend the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006 to provide for, inter alia, a system of fixed penalty notices  (“on the spot” fines) for minor fisheries offences. This provided the possibility of creating a subset of minor offences which are legally suitable to be dealt with by way of fixed penalty notices. 

In summary, the process suggested in the RIA involved giving a person who was alleged to have committed a minor offence an option to pay a fixed payment which would mean that a prosecution would not be taken in the Courts.  If the payment was not received within 28 days, the prosecution would be initiated in the courts and on conviction it was expected that a higher fine would be applied.

A number of industry submissions received under the RIA on the implementation of fixed penalty notices raised concerns that these would be used in place of verbal or written warnings.  Other comments raised concerns regarding potential inequalities in the application of the system between different Sea Fisheries Protection Authority Port Officers and Naval Service personnel.  There were also comments regarding the constitutionality of applying sanctions in the absence of a Court decision and others seeking a fully administrative system.  In light of the comments submitted in respect of the above proposal on a fixed penalty system, it was decided not to proceed with the introduction such a system.

With regard to fishing infrastructure, it is important to say that my Department owns, maintains and directly manages six Fishery Harbour Centres.  The network of Harbours, located at Killybegs, Ros an Mhíl , An Daingean, Castletownbere, Dunmore East and Howth, are a valuable and vital resource to the Irish fishing fleet. The Fishery Harbour Centres provide state of the art facilities and infrastructure for the increasingly mobile and large scale Irish and EU fishing industries.

In 2017, I allocated a total of €3.8 million to the Local Authority Programme.  This vital funding targeted 67 approved Local Authority projects with a wide geographical spread, 55 of which are harbour development requiring funding of €2.94 million and 12 relate to marine leisure requiring funding of €879,750.  The infrastructure supported will be of great benefit to many rural coastal and island communities.

With regard to progress on aquaculture, in May 2017 I published the report of the Independent Review Group on aquaculture licensing which contained 30 key recommendations across a full range of activities.  Additional staff have been assigned to the Aquaculture licensing division of the Department so as to facilitate the implementation of the recommendations.

My Department's €240 million European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Operational Programme is the vehicle for financial supports to the seafood sector up to 2021.  The Programme delivers a wide range of supports for aquaculture, fisheries and seafood processing through a suite of 15 schemes including specifically in relation to Fisheries Local Action Groups.Individual schemes are administered by BIM and I will ask BIM to update the Deputy on recommendations relevant to its remit. 

In summary, there are a number of recommendations not relevant to the remit of my Department and I have endeavoured to give the Deputy an update on relevant matters, including policy developments, which have occurred since the report was published. I would like to assure the Deputy that this Government is fully commitment to the seafood sector and the coastal communities who are dependent on fisheries and aquaculture.