Joe Cooney (Clare, Fine Gael)
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2231. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in view of the recent announcement of a total allowable catch of pollack for 2026 and the division between recreational and commercial, if there are plans for the establishment of an angling catch limit on pollack; if any consultation on such limit has taken place with angling and charter skippers representative groups to establish the impacts of this on their businesses and coastal communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43713/25]

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The advice on fish stocks, including Pollack, published by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) forms the basis of the scientific advice used by the European Commission in proposing Total Allowable Catches (TACs).

As Pollack is found in both EU and UK waters, both the EU and UK must agree on setting the TAC for this stock. The European Commission has sole competence to negotiate with Third Countries, including the UK, on behalf of the EU on the setting of fishing opportunities.

The bilateral consultations with the UK on setting fishing opportunities for shared fish stocks take place in the autumn. Ahead of this, the Council sets down the Commission's mandate for these negotiations. Ireland inputs into the development of this mandate and throughout the negotiation process, in order to raise our concerns and priorities.

The ICES advice for this stock for 2026 has increased from zero catch due to a change in the assessment method and new reference points following a benchmark process this year. However, the stock is still in a vulnerable state due to low recruitment over the last number of years. The status of the stock is one of the elements to be considered as part of the TAC setting process.

The ICES advice also highlights that recreational catches account for a significant portion of the fishing mortality for this stock. ICES is not dividing the advice between commercial and recreational - the advice is projecting the catches, assuming no change in management from that in 2024.

However, given the impact of recreational catches on this stock, management measures for recreational fishing for Pollack must be considered. My Department, along with the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment and Inland Fisheries Ireland, have been working with the Commission and other Member States on potential measures for recreational Pollack fishing. As this stock is shared with the UK, the Commission will consult with the UK on these measures before agreement on the TAC for this stock.

Operational aspects of any such proposed measures, including engagement with angling and charter skipper representative groups, is a matter for Inland Fisheries Ireland.