Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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1897. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 1156 of 22 March 2022, the account that is made for inshore fishing in calculating bass stocks and resultant quotas. [20129/22]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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1898. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 1156 of 22 March 2022, the common European approaches that are protecting bass stocks; and if Ireland is aligned with these practices. [20130/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1897 and 1898 together.

Ireland has been to the forefront in protecting the vulnerable Sea Bass stock for many years with a complete prohibition on commercial fishing by Irish fishing vessels in place since 1990, along with restrictions on recreational fisheries.  These regulations were introduced as a result of, and to redress what was acknowledged as, a dramatic decline of Sea Bass stocks in the 1970's.  This decline, together with the relatively late spawning age of Sea Bass found in waters around Ireland, meant that future bass stocks in these waters were in jeopardy.

Following advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) that the Sea Bass stock was in rapid decline, in 2015 the European Commission introduced temporary emergency measures to protect Sea Bass during the highly sensitive spawning season between January and 30th April.

Later that year, the Council adopted more long-term measures to reduce the impact of recreational fisheries and reduce catches by commercial fisheries.  The latter was provided for by Council Regulation (EU) 2015/960, which also brought EU legislation into line with Irish legislation by extending the prohibition on commercial fishing to all Union vessels operating in ICES areas 7a, b, c, g, j and k.  These areas encompass the Irish sea and the waters off Ireland's west, south and south-west coasts.

The measures in relation to Sea Bass are set out in the annual Total Allowable Catch (TAC) and Quota Regulation.  However, it should be noted that there are no quotas for Sea Bass.  The current measures provide, inter alia, that Union fishing vessels are prohibited from fishing for Sea Bass in the waters around Ireland.  For recreational fisheries, in area 7, only catch and release fisheries are allowed in January, February and December and a bag limit of two fish per fisher per day from 1st March to 30th November.