Written answers
Thursday, 13 July 2023
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Fishing Industry
Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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8. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide clarification regarding the recent increase in the UK albacore tuna quota (details supplied) which includes access to EU fishing grounds while the Irish quota for the same species remains unchanged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34710/23]
Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Annual catch limits for the Northern Albacore Tuna stock are set by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) based on scientific advice.
The annual Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for the Northern Albacore Tuna stock has been set by ICCAT at 37,801 tonnes for both 2022 and 2023. In both 2022 and 2023, on the basis of the shares set out in the EU-UK Trade and Co-Operation agreement, the UK's quota is 442.25 tonnes and the EU's quota is 28,652.85 tonnes, out of which the Irish quota is 3,174.03 tonnes.
In the negotiations between the EU and the UK on shared fishing stocks for the 2023 fishing period, both parties agreed to grant each other access to target up to 280 tonnes only of northern albacore in their respective Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) in 2023. This upper limit may be increased within the year subject to agreement by both the EU and the UK. In 2021 and 2022, there was no such agreement between the EU and UK on reciprocal access for the targeting of northern albacore tuna.
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