Martin Ferris (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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490. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of commercial gill-netting boats that are operating nationally. [5182/19]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The Registrar General of Fishing Boats informs me that the Irish fishing fleet comprised 2,005 registered vessels at year end on 31 December 2018.

Of the 2,005 registered vessels, 43 owners categorised their vessels as gill-netters on registration.

However, there are currently 1,373 registered polyvalent general vessels in the fleet which include the 43 gill-netters referred to above. All of these 1,373 polyvalent general vessels are not precluded from fishing activity by means of gill nets.