Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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749. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has plans to reintroduce a quota on spurdog species in the coming years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52940/22]

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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764. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to updated advice to lift the prohibition of targeting, retaining on board, transhipping or landing spurdog or picked dogfish in 2023 from the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas; if Ireland intends seeking a quota for this species in 2023 subject to a lifting of the prohibition by the Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53216/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 749 and 764 together.

Under EU Regulation, it is currently prohibited to target, retain on board, tranship or land spurdog (also known as picked dogfish) in the waters around Ireland. While there is a very limited quota available for use only in pilot schemes designed to reduce by-catches, any such schemes are subject to European Commission approval and must relate to reducing by-catches of dogfish in other fisheries, i.e. the targeting of dogfish would remain prohibited.

The stock was subject to high harvest rates for more than four decades, and fisheries were not managed during this time. The species is a long-lived, slow growing and late maturing species and is, therefore, particularly vulnerable to over-fishing. Conservation measures in recent years have reduced mortality significantly.

The recent ICES scientific assessment gives a new perspective on the development of the stock and shows an increase in the biomass. As this stock is shared with the UK, the issue of removing spurdog from the list of prohibited species and setting a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for the stock would have to be considered in the context of the upcoming EU-UK consultations on 2023 fishing opportunities for shared stocks.

I am of the opinion that, following the positive scientific advice for the stock, this stock should be removed from the list of prohibited species. In the event that a TAC is set for spurdog, I will consider the management of Ireland’s quota for this stock in consultation with the Quota Management Advisory Committee (QMAC).