Written answers

Wednesday, 24 March 2021

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Fishing Industry

Photo of Pádraig Mac LochlainnPádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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1937. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the fishing capacity of the bottom grown mussel sector in Ireland and the resources available to it were last assessed and made public with reference to Article 22 of Regulation EU 2013-1380 on The Common Fisheries Policy in relation to the rightsizing of fishing fleets to match the available resource. [13891/21]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Article 22 of EU Regulation 1380/2013 requires Member States to report on the annual capacity of their fishing fleets.  The majority of vessels in the Irish bottom grown mussel sector are registered in the aquaculture segment of the Irish fishing fleet which is not included in the capacity ceiling for the Irish fishing fleet and, accordingly, is not subject to an entry/exit regime.  

Vessels in the Aquaculture Segment are restricted to use in the management, development and servicing of aquaculture areas. As part of a service to aquaculture installations, such vessels may collect mussel seed, subject to certain restrictions.  In the case of those vessels registered in other segments, these would be reported under the appropriate segment.

Photo of Pádraig Mac LochlainnPádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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1938. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the financial circumstances of the Irish bottom grown mussel industry; and if he will engage with the sector to ensure that there is a strong and properly regulated management structure in place to ensure the fishery is regulated and that Irish registered boats are given a fair chance and opportunity to make a living, as he called for during the passage of the Sea Fisheries Amendment Bill in 2019. [13892/21]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, Government has made available financial and other supports for employees and businesses negatively impacted by the Pandemic.  The Pandemic Unemployment Payment and Wage Subsidy Scheme have supported incomes of employees and the self-employed in the seafood sector.  Government has also made available low-cost loans to seafood businesses for working capital and other purposes. 

The Bottom Grown Mussel Consultative Forum is a consultative body that was established pursuant to a recommendation of the 2008 expert group report The Rising Tide. The Forum meets annually and  it makes recommendations on matters affecting the bottom grown mussel sector, including the mussel seed fishery.

Mussel seed fishing is subject to a prior consent process.  Accordingly, mussel seed fishing which may impact on Natura 2000 sites must undergo screening for and, if necessary, appropriate assessment to determine if the activity will have a significant adverse impact on the features of the Natura 2000 site.  In order to assess the potential impact, the local fishing industry is invited to submit a Fisheries Natura Plan for assessment and consideration.

Photo of Pádraig Mac LochlainnPádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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1939. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if it will be ensured that the four fishermen (details supplied) who successfully won their court cases will have the option of availing of compensation or decommissioning schemes made available to their colleagues in other sectors in the time ahead. [13893/21]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The fisheries quota transfers to the UK, agreed as part of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the UK, will have impacts on certain segments of our fishing fleet, and on marine support services and coastal communities dependent on fishing.   The quota reductions for Ireland are disproportionate compared to other Member States and will lead to a loss of €43 million per year in fish quotas when the reductions are fully phased in by 2026.  Some of the quota reductions will begin to be felt by our fishing industry when the full annual EU quotas for 2021 are determined shortly. 

I have established a Seafood Sector Taskforce, comprised of representatives of the seafood sector and other relevant actors, to examine the likely impacts and report to me with their recommendations for mitigation and support measures.  The Taskforce will produce an interim report within two months, focusing on recommended arrangements for a voluntary fleet tie up scheme to temporarily counter the impact of the reduction in quotas and the final report will be delivered within 4 months and will address recommendations to adjust and re-balance certain segments of the fleet with the reduced fishing opportunities available and any other recommended initiatives to support our seafood sector and coastal communities. The Taskforce will also consider and recommend constructive actions that would help to alleviate the inequitable relative contribution of quota share by Ireland in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

At this time, I cannot pre-judge the recommendations of the Taskforce in terms of which fleet segments or other operators should be targeted for any particular supports but the focus is on those segments most impacted by the outcome of the Trade & Co-operation Agreement.

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