Fisheries Minister Michelle Gildernew MP MLA has taken part in critical negotiations which set the Total Allowable Catches (TAC) for the local fleet in 2009 at the December Fisheries Council in Brussels.
Speaking following the completion of this year's December Fisheries Council, the Minister said: "These have been particularly tough negotiations and the Commission has been determined to protect vulnerable stocks. I agreed my negotiating priorities with our local industries which were to get a rollover in the Nephrops quota, secure an increase of 15% for Haddock and resist the cuts proposed by the Commission on Irish Sea Herring, Cod and Plaice.
"The Commission had proposed a 15% cut for Nephrops TACs in the North Sea, the West of Scotland and the Irish Sea. Nephrops (prawns) are by far the most important species for our local fleet which operates out of Ardglass, Kilkeel and Portavogie. Over 90% of the fleet fishes for Nephrops and many jobs in the catching and processing sector depend on this single species.
"I argued strongly for a rollover in the Nephrops quota which was based on sound scientific arguments about the sustainability of the Irish Sea Nephrops stock.
"I pressed the Commission hard on this because I am very conscious that the recent economic downturn has meant that those fishing communities have also been hit very hard recently by job losses in other sectors – making them even more dependant on income from fishing."
She explained that the Commission were prepared to concede some ground in the negotiations and the outcome was a reduction in the proposed cut to 2% for the Irish Sea and 5% for other sea areas. Ms Gildernew added: "This is not what I or our industry wanted but the nature of these negotiations mean that some compromise is necessary to achieve on an overall package of fishing opportunities over many stocks in all sea areas.
"There was good news on Herring where the Commission abandoned its proposal for an 8% cut and agreed to a rollover.
"This, together with a rollover in the Clyde Herring fishery means that our small pelagic industry will maintain its present fishing opportunities in those areas.
"The scientific advice indicates that Cod stocks in the Irish Sea are in a critical state and are significantly below the level needed to maintain the stock, so the Commission would not give ground on its' proposal to reduce the TAC by 25%.
"The Commission also wouldn't move on its proposal to reduce the Irish Sea Plaice TAC by 23% to move towards long-term management arrangements.
"However, I am glad that the Commission agreed to increase the Haddock quota by 15%. This provides a lifeline to our small, hard pressed whitefish sector which has seen its fishing opportunities dwindle," she added.
"While this concludes the negotiations on fishing opportunities for 2009, there is still a considerable amount of work ahead of us to introduce new arrangements for effort control introduced as part of the Commission's new Cod Recovery Plan.
"My Department will be consulting with the local industry very early in the New Year to explore flexibilities to maximise the fishing time available to the fleet."
