Written answers

Wednesday, 23 June 2021

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Fishing Industry

Photo of Michael FitzmauriceMichael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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303. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the percentage of fish landing and quotas both in weight and value that Irish fishing boats derive from Ireland's exclusive economic zone territorial waters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33683/21]

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), official landing statistics are reported by Member States by ICES division, rather than by Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and most ICES divisions straddle more than one EEZ area.  However, landings are also reported by ICES rectangles - these are smaller sub-divisions of the sea area used for statistical analysis.  While reports by ICES rectangles are not official landing declarations, they can be used to provide a reasonable estimate of the EEZ from which these landings were caught.

The attached figures compiled by the Marine Institute set out the average estimated weight and average approximate value of landings by Irish vessels as a proportion of the total weight and value of landings from the Irish EEZ for the periods 2011 to 2015 and 2015 to 2019.

The Irish fleet catches fish inside and outside the Irish EEZ.  On average, approximately, one third of the Irish fleet's total catch comes from outside the Irish EEZ.

As the Deputy is aware, the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) will, unfortunately, have an impact on our fishing industry. However, this impact would have been far greater had the Barnier Task Force agreed to UK demands, or had we been in a no-deal scenario which would have seen all EU vessels barred from UK waters and subsequent displacement into Ireland's fishing zone. 

I wish to assure the Deputy that I, as Minister, and this Government intend to continue to keep the focus on the disproportionate  quota reductions for Ireland and to use any opportunity available to seek constructive solutions that would help to alleviate this unacceptable position.

Average estimated weight and average approximate value of landings by Irish vessels as a proportion of the total weight and value of landings from the Irish EEZ for the periods 2011 to 2015 and 2015 to 2019

2011-2015 2015-2019
Average landings from the IE EEZ as a proportion of total landings from the IE EEZ Average value from the IE EEZ as a proportion of total value from the IE EEZ Average landings from the IE EEZ as a proportion of total landings from the IE EEZ Average value from the IE EEZ as a proportion of total value from the IE EEZ
41.5% 36.4% 35.5% 38.3%

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