Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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696. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which various fish stock at sea and internal waterways have fluctuated over the past five years to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8195/20]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) provides the framework for the long term conservation and sustainability of fish stocks around our shores and is designed to ensure the long term sustainability of fishing in Ireland and throughout EU waters. The CFP specifically calls for the progressive restoration and maintenance of populations of fish stocks above biomass levels capable of producing Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY). This will lead to healthy fish stocks, higher quotas for both Irish and EU fishermen and to more sustainable fishing patterns.

An important aspect of the work to achieve and maintain MSY is to form a detailed picture of the biological status of the stocks of the stocks which are fished by our fleet. Scientific information on the state of the fisheries exploited by the Irish fleet is compiled by the Marine Institute with data from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) and is published in the Stock Book each year. The most recent Stock Book, 2019, contains 74 stocks that are subject to the scientific advice of the Marine Institute. I have attached two tables (Tables 1 and 2) taken from the Stock Book that show the fluctuations of fish stocks over the last five years.

Of these 74 stocks, 35 are assessed as being sustainably fished in 2019. This number has grown every year since 2013. The number of stocks being over-fished has declined from 22 in 2014 to 13 in 2019. In the five year period referred to by the Deputy, the number of stocks fished sustainably has consistently increased, while those over fished have declined. These trends should ultimately lead to healthier fish stocks and higher quotas for Irish fishermen.

Fishing opportunities for each Member State are agreed on an annual basis at the EU Fisheries Council of Ministers on the basis of a proposal produced by the European Commission that is informed by the best available scientific advice. This, in turn, can lead to fluctuations in quotas, both increases and decreases. At the negotiations for 2020 Total Allowable Catches and quotas, there were increases in a number of stocks of importance to Ireland such as Haddock, Monkfish and Megrim in the Celtic Sea. This outcome shows that the many years of intensive, industry-led conservation measures are paying off. I am confident that, through the CFP, we will be able to ensure the sustainability of our fish stocks. This will ensure the economic viability of our fishing fleet and fish processors, thereby supporting the families and communities that depend on a vibrant fishing industry.

Fish stocks in inland waterways fall with the remit of the Department of Communication, Climate Action and the Environment and its agency Inland Fisheries Ireland.

Table 1Summary of FEAS evaluation of fishing mortality in relation to FMSY for stocks of interest to Ireland.

Table 2 Summary of FEAS evaluation of SSB in relation to biomass reference points for stocks of interest to Ireland.