Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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360. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address a number of issues in respect of the fisheries sector (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23678/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The National Inshore Fisheries Forum (NIFF) and its supporting network of six Regional Inshore Fisheries Forums are consultative bodies, established in 2014, to facilitate the development of a coherent inshore sector by encouraging inshore fishers to discuss their fishing issues and generate commonly supported initiatives. These structures have guided the development of industry-led proposals for the management of non-quota stocks within six nautical miles of the Irish shore. Since their inception, the Forums have developed initiatives to protect the future of the inshore sector.

During the lifetime of this Government, two Producer Organisations have been guided to provide additional representation for inshore fishers to give them a stronger voice. My Department completed the formal recognition of the Irish Islands Marine Resource Organisation (IIMRO) as an EU Producer Organisation that focuses on our offshore islands as well as that of the National Inshore Fishermen’s Association (NIFA) as an EU Producer Organisation for inshore fishers. Their recognition significantly improves the standing and advocacy of inshore fishers in sea-fisheries consultative processes, including the Quota Management Advisory Committee (QMAC).

The QMAC is a formal consultative committee, involving fishing industry representatives from the catching, inshore and processing sectors. NIFA, IIMRO and NIFF are members of the QMAC. The QMAC meets on a monthly basis to make recommendations to me as Minister on monthly/bi-monthly/quarterly regimes for particular stocks, and industry representatives bring the benefit of their knowledge and experience of fishing to these discussions.

In addition to the QMAC, the Celtic Sea Herring Management Advisory Committee and the North West Herring Advisory Committee (NWHAC) were established to provide advice to me as Minister in relation to the management of these particular stocks and fisheries within the existing policy frameworks. The NWHAC membership framework encompasses IIMRO, NIFA and NIFF. The NIFF is represented on the Celtic Sea Herring Management Advisory Committee (CSHMAC) and I am also considering a request from NIFA to join this committee.

The income supports for farmers, referred to in the details supplied by the Deputy, are provided within the framework of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and specifically on the basis of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 which sets out the rules for support under CAP Strategic Plans.

There is no similar or comparable provision in place under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) in relation to primary producers in the seafood sector.

The primary source of funding for the seafood sector is the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) (2021 – 2027), one of a number of European cohesion funds. The EMFAF Regulation is aligned with the objectives of the CFP, and the EMFAF Regulation does not make provision for the use of EMFAF funds to provide income supports to primary producers in the seafood sector.

My Department is progressing an Inshore Fisheries Scheme under EMFAF. This scheme provides enhanced grant aid rate of between 80% and 100% to small scale coastal fishers (SSCF), to support onboard and onshore investments. SSCF vessels comprise the majority of the inshore fleet. The scheme will also provide funding for all inshore fishers, both SSCF and non-SSCF, to participate in inshore fisheries conservation measures. This scheme has been circulated to the EMFAF Monitoring Committee for adoption by the end of May. Once it has been adopted it will be implemented by BIM without delay. Inshore representative groups are members of the Monitoring Committee.

In addition, my Department and BIM will be engaging with the inshore sector to develop a successor to the Strategy for Inshore Fisheries Sector 2019-2023. This will provide an opportunity to fully consider the challenges facing the inshore fleet and identify measures to mitigate these challenges.