Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food & the Marine
Speech - Fleet Segmentation & Landing Obligation Update
30th June 2015
Introduction
 Good afternoon Chairman. I would like to thank you for the invitation to
update the Committee on the progress of the implementation of the Landing
Obligation and to discuss the submission from the Fleet Subsegmentation
Lobby Group on abolishing the subsegmentation of tonnage and kilowatts
for the Irish Fleet.
Fleet Segmentation
 I will begin by addressing the issue of Fleet Segmentation.
 The management of fishing fleets using vessel capacity in terms of vessel
volume (measured in Gross Tonnes) and engine power (measured in
kilowatts) is a cornerstone of the Common Fisheries Policy and was
introduced in the early 1990’s. Capacity limits – known as “fleet ceilings” –
are set at EU level for all Member States.
 To ensure that the fleet ceiling is not exceeded, Member States must manage
their fleets in such a way that the entry of new capacity into the fleet is
balanced by the previous withdrawal of at least the same amount of capacity.
This is known as the “entry/exit regime”.
 The Irish fishing fleet has been divided into segments since the early 1990’s.
The fleet is divided into five segments in accordance with Ministerial Policy
Directive 2 of 2003, as amended. The five segments are:-
 Refrigerated Seawater (RSW) Pelagic
 Polyvalent
 Beam Trawler
 Specific
 Aquaculture
 The Specific Segment is divided into two sub-segments – the Scallop and
General sub-segments. The Polyvalent Segment is divided into four subsegments – Potting, Scallop, vessels under 18m in Length Overall and
vessels greater than or equal to 18m in Length Overall. The transfer of
capacity between segments and sub-segments is not permitted.
 In order for vessels to qualify for a mackerel and/or herring authorisation, all
of the capacity used to license the vessel must have the required track record
as stipulated under the individual mackerel and herring fleet policies.
 It is important to note that fishing capacity is privately owned and is traded
independently of my Department and the Licensing Authority for Seafishing Boats.
 The current fleet policy has been put in place over many years. The request
for a change in licensing policy, involving the removal or amalgamation of
segments or sub-segments, would have a substantial impact on the Irish
fishing fleet. Such changes could potentially have significant impacts on
access to fishing resources and the management of quotas.
 There are many diverse views within the fishing industry and these often
conflict. It is important therefore, that views such as those proposed are
debated widely within the industry.
The objective is to achieve
the
maximum possible level of agreement and support within the industry for
any proposed changes being sought.
 The Fisheries (Amendment) Act 2003 transferred the function of sea-fishing
boat licensing to the Licensing Authority for Sea-fishing Boats and provides
that the Licensing Authority is independent from the Minister in the exercise
of its functions.
 As Minister, I have responsibility for policy in relation to sea-fishing boat
licensing and may issue policy directives in this regard. However, under the
2003 Act I am precluded from getting involved in individual cases, or a
group of cases, with which the Licensing Authority is or may be concerned.
 For this reason, it is preferable that proposals for changes to licensing policy
are made through the recognised representative structure of Producer
Organisations. In this way, a business case for changes to the licensing
policy would be fully examined, including both positive and negative
consequences for operators with divergent fishing activities covering both
large and small operations. I would encourage the group of vessel owners
in this instance to engage with the Producer Organisations so that any
proposed changes can be brought forward with a full understanding of the
views across the industry. Given the potential impact of changes to licensing
policy, any amendments that I might consider bringing forward would be
subject to a public consultation with stakeholders.
Landing Obligation Update
 With regard to the Landing Obligation, or “Discard Ban” as it is sometimes
called, the recent regional agreement, brokered by Ireland, on extending the
Landing Obligation to a number of important whitefish stocks brings us
another step closer to eliminating the wasteful and unsustainable practice of
discarding. The reform introduced a practical and phased discards policy.
 The first part of the landing obligation, the ban on discarding pelagic stocks
such as herring and mackerel, came into effect from the 1st of January 2015.
The landing obligation will be extended to certain demersal stocks (whitefish
and prawns) from the 1st of January 2016 and will be fully phased in by the
1st January 2019.
 The phasing in period will allow fishermen time to adjust and implement
changes that will allow for the avoidance of unwanted catches.
 A major element of the new CFP is the introduction of regionalisation. This
gives Member States in a region, working together, greater power to make
decisions on the management of their own fish stocks and moves away from
the former “one size fits all” approach. It also underscores the importance of
meaningful input from stakeholders, requiring that Member States consult
with the relevant Advisory Councils, consisting of stakeholders from
industry and environmental NGO’s.
 Ireland is a member of the North Western Waters Group along with
Belgium, France, the Netherlands, UK and Spain.
 The preparation of the Discard Plan for whitefish species was carried out
during the period of Ireland’s chairmanship of the North Western Waters
Group (January to June 2015).
 The Member States worked closely with the North Western Waters Advisory
Council which involves representatives of the fishing industry and other
stakeholders. The Advisory Council representatives attended and imputed
into the meetings of the North Western Waters Group.
 The entire process was extremely demanding, given the high bar of having to
come to a unanimous agreement among six Member States. An agreement
was finally reached in May on a Discard plan for whitefish stocks to take
effect from the 1st January 2016.
 The ban on discarding will apply to the prawn (nephrops) fishery in all
waters, the whiting fishery in the Celtic Sea, the haddock fishery in the Irish
Sea and in the North West area, the hake fishery in all areas and the sole
fishery in the Celtic Sea from the 1st January 2016.
 The vessels which will be subject to the landing obligation in 2016 will be
identified on the basis of a combination of gear type and historic landing
data. So for example, a vessel that had landings in 2013 and 2014 of more
than 25% cod, haddock, whiting and saithe combined in its landings in the
Celtic Sea will be obliged to land all whiting in 2016. The other species will
be phased in over the following 3 years.
 Another important element is the inclusion of what are known as deminimis
exemptions. What this means is that, in the example I just gave, a vessel
obliged to land whiting in the Celtic Sea will still be allowed to discard a
small percentage. These deminimis exemptions are only allowed where it is
difficult in the short term to dramatically improve selectivity without having
an unduly onerous economic effect.
 In terms of setting Total Allowable Catches and quotas for 2016 in
December, I will be seeking a quota uplift for the stocks subject to the
landing obligation. This is needed to take account of the situation that in
2016 discarding of these stocks will not be permitted.
 The Irish industry has been kept fully informed throughout this process
through the Discards Implementation Group, chaired by Dr. Noel Cawley.
I established this Group to allow the Irish fishing industry to be fully
prepared for, and engaged in, the implementation of the discards ban.
Agreement on the discard plan for 2016 provides the Discards
Implementation Group with a clear blueprint to help prepare the industry for
the forthcoming changes.
 I am providing funding support to the fishing industry through the new EU
Fisheries Operational Programme, which I am currently progressing, for the
effective delivery of the new measures. I have made €450,000 available in
2015 to BIM and the MI to undertake a project over the summer period,
exploring the potential impact of the landing obligation on commercial
fishing activity. This project will follow up on the discard simulation trials
conducted last autumn.
 I firmly believe that the biggest challenge will be to develop and implement
improvements in selectivity and the development of other means that enable
fishermen to avoid juvenile fish or unwanted catches.
I know that the
national Discards Implementation Group is prioritising this work.
Our
fishermen themselves, working with BIM and the Marine Institute are best
placed to find better ways of fishing. I will strongly support this work
through the new Fisheries Operational Programme. I am confident that we
are moving forward into a new era where healthy fish stocks, fished
sustainably are the norm which will give assurances of economic stability
and profitability to our fishing industry and dependant coastal communities.