Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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185. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will meet with a group (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46149/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Council Regulation 1415/2004 sets the maximum levels of annual fishing effort by group of species area and fishery and by Member States. The Regulation sets effort limits for the edible crab and spider crab in the area known as the Biologically Sensitive Area which is off the south and west coast of Ireland (BSA). Ireland’s maximum effort as set down in the Regulation is 63,198 KW days. The Department, following consultation with the Quota Management Advisory Committee, which comprises industry representatives, secured a swap from France at the beginning of the year for additional fishing effort for crab in this area, taking account of uptake in previous years and available stocks for swops. This increased our available fishing effort to 102,431 KW days for 2018 (when a deduction for fishing in excess of available effort in 2017 of 5777 KW days was taken into account).

At the Quota Management Advisory Committee on 23rd October last, the SFPA provided that crab effort uptake in the Biologically Sensitive Area (BSA) was at 77.73%. By 30th October, the Department received notice from the SFPA that the uptake figures had reached over 100%. On this basis I had no option but to close the BSA crab fishery for vessels over 10 metres. I have received submissions from industry representatives in relation to possible swap options and having regard to these submissions, I have decided to pursue a swap to re-open the BSA crab fishery for vessels over 10 metres. This is, of course, dependent on France being prepared to swap its crab effort in the BSA as it is the only Member State with crab effort in this area.