Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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291. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the strategic investments his Government has made during this Government's term to attract increased landings into Ireland of sustainably caught fish in Irish waters and promote the development of the seafood processing sector in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26881/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The value of landings into Ireland reached €507 million in 2022, with non-Irish vessels accounting for over one third of this. This represents growth on previous years, despite volume declines in landings primarily driven by the effect of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement and Brexit on Ireland and other Member States.

In addition to fostering the sustainable development of the Irish fleet, there have been initiatives which will enhance Ireland as a destination for landings by non-Irish vessels.

During the period 2020-2022, €77m was invested under the Department’s Fishery Harbour and Coastal Infrastructure Development Programme in the six State owned Fishery Harbour Centres at Killybegs, Ros an Mhíl, An Daingean, Castletownbere, Dunmore East and Howth. In January I allocated €37.3m for capital projects in the 2023 Programme. This funding is in addition to the €55.3m that I announced in December 2022 for 164 projects under the Brexit Adjustment: Local Authority Marine Infrastructure Scheme (BALAMI) 2022 – 2023. This Scheme was designed to help the seafood sector adapt to the impacts of Brexit, including though modernised public marine facilities at important landing locations such as Kilmore Quay and Clogherhead. These investments demonstrate this Government’s serious commitment to supporting the fishing industry and rural coastal communities.

Beyond marine infrastructure there have been significant initiatives to enhance the supply chain in order to ensure the value of seafood landed in Ireland can be enhanced and developed to meet key market needs. Under my Department’s EMFF Seafood Development Programme there were a number of exploratory projects primarily through the Seafood Processing Innovation Scheme and capital supports for onshore facilities and processing enterprises. In 2022, I announced the €45 million Brexit Processing Capital Support Scheme which has provided the opportunity for processors to expand on these previous initiatives and enhance the capacity, efficiency and value added focus of their facilities in order to attract new sources of raw material.

These strategic investments combined will make Ireland an attractive proposition for the landing of seafood, enhance Ireland’s reputation as a centre of excellence for seafood and create employment opportunities in coastal communities.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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292. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will publish by-catch figures in Irish waters by fish species for each of the years 2015 to 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26882/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The term “by-catch” describes the unintentional catching of unwanted fish, and other marine creatures, during a commercial fishing activity targeting a different species.

It is now illegal to discard any species covered by the Landing Obligation, other than permitted exemptions, and all landings, including unwanted by-catches, must be recorded in the logbook and are counted against the national quota.

During the years specified by the Deputy (2015 to 2023), there have been a number of instances where restrictive, by-catch only TACs (Total Allowable Catches), have been set for some stocks. This prevents targeting of vulnerable stocks, while allowing for unavoidable by-catches of these stocks in mixed fisheries.

In addition, a small Bluefin Tuna by-catch quota is available to Ireland, primarily for use in our important Northern Albacore Tuna fishery and Celtic Sea Herring fishery, where there can be Bluefin Tuna by-catch.

The Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) is responsible for the collection of catch and landings data and therefore I have asked the SFPA to reply directly to the Deputy with figures for these by-catch stocks.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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293. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will publish the volume of fish discards, by species in each of the years 2015 to 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26883/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Landing Obligation, or Discards Ban, was introduced on a phased basis beginning in 2015 and has been fully implemented since 2019. It is illegal to discard any species covered by the Landing Obligation, other than permitted exemptions. These exemptions are fish species covered by a high survivability exemption, a de minimis exemption, fish which has been damaged by predators, prohibited species and species not managed under the TAC & Quota system.

The Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) is responsible for the collection of catch and landings data and therefore I have referred the Deputy's request to the SFPA for attention and direct reply.

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal, Sinn Fein)
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294. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will publish the value and volume of fish by species landed in Ireland; if he will provide a breakdown, separately, of the value and volume of that same fish processed in Ireland for each of the years 2015 to 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26884/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) is responsible for the collection of landings data. I have referred the Deputy's request for information on the value and volume of fish by species landed into Ireland to the SFPA for attention and direct reply.

Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) publishes its "Business of Seafood" report annually, which provides a snapshot of Ireland's seafood sector. The publication includes a section on Seafood Processing. As BIM compiles the relevant data, I have forwarded the Deputy's query on fish processing to BIM for attention and direct response.