Written answers

Thursday, 10 December 2020

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Fisheries Protection

Photo of Pádraig Mac LochlainnPádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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459. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the entire allocation of fishing quota for Irish fishers in each of the past 20 years, in tabular form; the breakdown of the quota by fish species; the way in which it is allocated by producer organisations and other representative groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42613/20]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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In Ireland, fish quotas are a public resource owned by the State. The Minister has responsibility for the management of Ireland's  quotas. Allocations are made available to fishing vessels based on an overall policy framework which has been developed over the past 30 years.  The key commercial whitefish quotas (cod, haddock, monk, hake etc) are managed, usually on a monthly basis, with maximum catch limits set for vessels.  Pelagic stocks such as mackerel and herring are managed on an annual or seasonal basis in accordance with the  Ministerial policy.That policy has been developed and set down over the years as the relevant fishery developed.  Any amendments or changes to the policy on management arrangements are determined by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine following detailed analysis and full consultation with stakeholders.

Within the Minister’s policy, allocations and other arrangements are decided by the Minister on an ongoing basis having regard for the advice of the Quota Management Advisory Committee (QMAC). 

Consultation is carried out at the monthly meeting of the QMAC involving representatives of the industry (each of the four Producer Organisations, Co-operatives, National Inshore Fisheries Forum and the Irish Fish Processors and Exporters Association), the Department and the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority. The purpose of these meetings is for the industry representatives to make recommendations to the Minister on monthly catch limits for stocks, mainly demersal stocks.I  have regard for the recommendations when setting catch limits and arrangements for a fishery, subject to the proper management and rational exploitation of our fisheries.

I attach an Excel document presenting the quotas  by fish stock for Ireland in each of years 2001 to 2020, which was compiled for me by the Marine Institute. The initial quota received by Ireland is presented in the first tab and a revised quota, to take account of swaps, is presented in the second tab of this document. Data is only available up to 2019 for the revised quotas  in the second tab as all swaps have not been finalised for 2020.

Photo of Pádraig Mac LochlainnPádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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460. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of inspections of Irish fishing vessels that have taken place in each of the past 20 years by his Department; the number of prosecutions taken by the State against Irish fishers during this period; the scale of infringements and penalties in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42614/20]

Photo of Pádraig Mac LochlainnPádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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461. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of inspections of foreign fishing vessels that have taken place in each of the past 20 years by his Department; the number of prosecutions taken by the State against non-Irish fishers during this period; the scale of infringements and penalties in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42615/20]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 460 and 461 together.

The monitoring and control of fishing vessels within Ireland’s Exclusive Fisheries Zone are law enforcement matters for the Irish control authorities.Under the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006, all operational matters are exclusively the responsibility of the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) and the Naval Service.  Under the Act,  I am expressly precluded from getting involved in operational matters in relation to sea fisheries control.

Accordingly, I have referred the Deputy's requests to the SFPA for attention and direct reply.

Photo of Pádraig Mac LochlainnPádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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462. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of logs of super trawlers fishing in waters off the coast of Ireland that have been recorded by his Department for each of the past 10 years by annual and monthly basis including the vessel name and country of registration in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42616/20]

Photo of Pádraig Mac LochlainnPádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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464. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the details of the electronic logbooks input by super trawlers and monitored by the SFPA showing the total catch made by them in waters off Ireland in the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42618/20]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 462 and 464 together.

The monitoring and control of fishing vessels within Ireland’s Exclusive Fisheries Zone are law enforcement matters for the Irish control authorities.Under the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006, all operational matters are exclusively the responsibility of the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) and the Naval Service.  Under the Act,  I am expressly precluded from getting involved in operational matters in relation to sea fisheries control.

Accordingly, I have referred the Deputy's requests to the SFPA for attention and direct reply.

Photo of Pádraig Mac LochlainnPádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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463. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the annual breakdown of all SFPA operations on an annual basis for the past five years in which it boarded fishing vessels by vessel name, country of origin, purpose of boarding, if an infringement was detected and if so, the infringement in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42617/20]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The monitoring and control of fishing vessels within Ireland’s Exclusive Fisheries Zone are law enforcement matters for the Irish control authorities.Under the Sea Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006, all operational matters are exclusively the responsibility of the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) and the Naval Service.  Under the Act,  I am expressly precluded from getting involved in operational matters in relation to sea fisheries control.

Accordingly, I have referred the Deputy's requests to the SFPA for attention and direct reply.

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