14/12/2015

Concerns Raised Ahead Of Fish Quotas Debate

Simon Coveney has raised concerns at proposals for some of Ireland's key fisheries quotas, ahead of annual EU Fishers negotiations due to be held in Brussels next week.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney, said that the rolling out of the new discards ban for a number of Irish stocks added to the complexities of this year's negotiations.

Minister Coveney said: "Some of the proposals for stocks of great importance to Irish fleets are unnecessarily restrictive in my view and do not reflect scientific advice. We must set quotas that support sustainable fish stocks and I will support cuts where the scientific advice is clear that that is the right thing to do.

"The Commission is proposing a 43% and 27% cut to our cod and haddock quotas in the Celtic Sea, these stocks are stable and cuts of this magnitude are not justified. Other serious cuts are proposed for our very valuable prawn quota which is not supported by the scientific advice and for whitefish quotas in the Irish Sea. We must set quotas that support sustainable fish stocks and I will support cuts where the scientific advice is clear that that is the right thing to do. I will be making a strong case next week to Commissioner Vella to make significant changes to these quota proposals. ".

(MH/LM)

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