Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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1711.To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to respond to the concerns and queries raised in respect of the difficulties arising from the harvesting of cockles in the Togher, Annagassan and Dundalk area in County Louth (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33204/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I can inform the Deputy that my Department received a request from the North East Regional Fisheries Forum (RIFF) on 1 July for an opening of the Dundalk cockle fishery to take place this month. Dundalk bay contains two Natura 2000 sites, and along with the administration and the necessary approval processes to be considered, a Fisheries Natura Declaration would also be required to allow cockle fishing and give legal effect to any management measures that would apply for the fishery in Dundalk Bay.

Fishers are required to hold a Fisheries Natura Permit in order to access the fishery with such eligibility for a permit set out in the Dundalk Cockle Natura Permits Policy 2021-2025. My Department issued 28 permits in respect of this fishery last year. The current Fisheries Natura Plan, which runs from 2021 through 2025, sets out the terms under which a cockle fishery can take place, such as the minimum biomass of cockles required for the fishery to open and minimum catch rates. It also specifies operational restrictions for participants in the fishery, such as the minimum landing size for cockles, a cap on the total daily catch and specifications for the gear which can be used in the fishery.

Under the process for opening this fishery, once a request is made by the RIFF to open the fishery, my Department progresses the necessary arrangements to allow this to happen.

However, currently my Department is aware of difficulties in relation to the exporting of live cockles for processing in the UK or potentially to Europe, via the UK Landbridge, arising from new UK import control requirements. The UK Government introduced certification and notification processes for exports of EU agri-food and fishery products to the UK and via the UK Landbridge from 31 January 2024, resulting from the UK decision to leave the EU Single Market and Customs Union.

My Department is actively engaging with the North East Regional Fisheries Forum on the opening of the fishery and the export related issues. However it is clear from those communications that although the transit of cockles is still possible via direct routes to Europe, the fishers concerned do not view this as a viable option.

I can confirm that my Department and the Marine Institute, in this case, have raised this issue with regards to wild cockle exports/movements with the UK authorities in order to determine the UK’s technical requirements, specifically the certification requirements, in respect of this species given the preferred route to market outlined by the fishers involved. It is hoped that further clarification from the UK authorities may assist with implementing this process. My Department and the Marine Institute will continue to consult with the UK authorities and monitor this issue in the coming weeks.