Quotas cut over lack of scientific data

A lack of scientific evidence about fish stocks saw a cut in the quantity of valuable species such as haddock and monkfish for Irish fishermen in the annual EU share-out of fish.

Scientific advice about just how much fish it was safe to take out of the sea played a major role in setting quotas this year for the first time, and while the industry praised Fisheries Minister Simon Coveney for his work, they called for more science in future.

The minister said the deal secured fish worth €213m for the Irish fishing fleet for the coming year and ensured stocks are sustainable in the coming years. Cuts in quota of over 30 stocks were proposed, but this was reduced after what Mr Coveney described as a “very challenging” two days.

A total of 216,000 tonnes of fish quotas was secured, with whitefish worth €114m maintained at last year’s level while an interim quota worth €100m was set for most pelagic stocks pending the completion of negotiations between the EU and Norway in the new year.

With many of the major species in danger of being over-fished and a major reorganisation of the EU’s whole fisheries policy under way, the annual fisheries frenzy was even more intense this year in Brussels, with two days of tortuous negotiations finally ending at around 6.45am.

Ebby Sheahan, head of the Irish Fishermen’s Organisation, said the final deal for fishermen, especially in the south and west, was bad, with cuts in monkfish and haddock, two of the main species.

Fishermen knew both were in abundance but, because there was not enough science, the commission took the precautionary step of cutting the catch.

“For once we agree with Ocean2012, the environmental group, that we don’t have science for most of the stocks — but that is not the fishermen’s fault and we have been suffering cuts because of this — it’s grossly unfair”, he said.

“A mixed bag” was how the chair of the Federation of Irish Fishermen, Eibhlin O’Sullivan, described the outcome. A 6% increase in Nephrops — prawns — in area 7, the country’s second most valuable fishery was welcome and was due to the evidence produced by scientists and industry.

But she, too, bemoaned the drop of 15% in haddock in the Celtic Sea, which she estimated would cost fishermen up to €1m in income next year.

A 65% increase in blue whiting and the roll-over of the horse mackerel quota and for hake and megrim in areas 6 and 7 were welcome, Ms O’Sullivan said.

She warned that the cuts in fish that are plentiful will result in fishermen having to discard these perfectly good fish when they are caught.

“This is contrary to the commission’s and the council’s commitment to eliminating discards.”

Environmental organisations, normally wringing their hands at this stage, were willing to admit that the battle to save the fishing industry in the longer term was now on the right path, although some quota exceeded the scientific advice.

But some of the bigger battles were largely won by the commission, thanks to the alignment of MEPs in the fisheries committee of the European Parliament, in which Donegal MEP Pat “the Cope” Gallagher played a major role.

“The decisions of the fisheries committee on Tuesday exceeded everyone’s expectations — it fired up the commissioner who has been beaten down over the past few years, and they just went for it” explained Mike Walker of the environmental group Ocean21.

Siobhán Egan, policy adviser to Birdwatch and a member of the European Economic and Social Committee, said the result has created a momentum that will be helpful to Mr Coveney when he leads efforts under the Irish presidency to see through the reform of the Common Fisheries policy.

“It offers him an historic opportunity to end over-fishing and deliver a good livelihood for fishermen not just in the long term but the medium term, and any short-term pain will be more than compensated for,” she added.