Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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1979. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the discussions he or his Department have had with the Department of Transport to have marine qualifications and experience in the fishing industry recognised by the merchant navy and vice versa on a like-for-like basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1384/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Certificates of Competency are issued by the Department of Transport for service as officer on fishing vessels.  Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) one of my Department's marine agencies,  deliver courses for the Irish catching, aquaculture and seafood processing sectors by training new entrants and upgrading the skills of existing practitioners. BIM has an established history in the area of training and skill development for the Irish Seafood Industry operating two national fisheries colleges; at Greencastle, Co Donegal and Castletownbere, Co Cork as well as mobile training units which deliver training in seafood harbours around the coast. BIM offer a range of programmes to deliver Department of Transport approved courses / certificates of competency and are internationally recognised qualifications that have been approved for the fishing sector, which also enable the holder to be employed across a range of maritime settings.

Holders of fishing vessel certificates of competency can obtain restricted STCW 78 Merchant Navy Certificates of Competency to allow for employment in standby, seismic survey or oceanographic research vessels which are certified by the Marine Survey Office. All STCW (Standards of Training, Certification of Watchkeeping) short course certificates which are offered by BIM and approved by the Department of Transport, including marine fire fighting, radio and personal survival techniques, are internationally recognised and support transferability of skills across the marine sector including the merchant marine.

BIM will continue to work closely with the Marine Survey Office in the Department of Transport with respect to transferable marine skills supporting the implementation of the Task Force Report.

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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1980. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the proposals he has to introduce new fishing licences and allocate quota to small-scale fishermen on islands and in remote rural areas to encourage the reintroduction of traditional fishing in these communities on a sustainable basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1385/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to reassure the House that I recognise the value and importance of maintaining vibrant island and rural sea-fishing communities.  The Programme for Government commits to ensuring 'that inshore waters continue to be protected for smaller fishing vessels and recreational fishers and that pair trawling will be prohibited inside the six-mile limit’ and that the inshore fleet is supported ‘in generating greater marketing and promotional capacity, by facilitating the establishment of a Producer Organisation for these smaller fishing vessels, thereby providing additional opportunity for the island and coastal communities involved in the inshore sector.’ I am fully supportive and working to deliver these objectives.

The majority of the fishing vessels based on islands are smaller vessels. Inshore fishing boats currently make up more than 80% of the fishing fleet and support an estimated 2,500 to 3,000 jobs. This economic activity is vitally important to the coastal communities around Ireland, including the island communities from which these boats operate. All commercial sea-fishing boats are licensed in accordance with the Fisheries (Amendment) Act, 2003 as amended.  Within the fishing fleet register, there are a number of segments and sub-segments, one of which provides for the licensing of smaller vessels specifically: polyvalent under 18 metres length overall. The current sea-fishing boat licensing legislation and procedures already allow residents of Ireland's islands and in remote rural areas to enter the fishing fleet in the same manner as any other applicant.

The National Inshore Fisheries Forum (NIFF), supported by a network of Regional Inshore Forums (RIFFs) are supporting initiatives that seek to protect the collective interests of the inshore sector in Ireland including on our islands. I formally recognised the Irish Islands Marine Resource Organisation (IIMRO) as an EU Producer Organisation last February and I appointed it to the Quota Management Advisory Committee (QMAC).   Both the NIFF and IIMRO are both effective in their participation on the QMAC, advocating on behalf of all small-scale fishers on islands and in coastal rural areas to influence how Ireland's fish quotas are made available, within national policy. 

In relation to quotas for fish stocks, these are available to small scale coastal fishers who are licensed to fish for quota stocks including whitefish and pelagic stocks. Catch limits are set for whitefish stocks primarily based on the length of a fishing vessel. On this basis, all vessels under 55 feet in length receive the same catch limit.  The important pelagic stocks of mackerel, herring and horse mackerel already have allocations made available, in accordance with Ministerial policy, supporting smaller vessels.