Mr. Eamon Ryan:
I wish to share time with Deputies Ferris and Dr.Cowley. When I read this Bill the sentence that jumped out at me in the explanatory memorandum was that the EU is very keen that we ratify this as soon as possible so that we can: “signal our commitment to sustainable fishing on the high seas and elsewhere”. The European Union and most of the developed fishing industry desperately need to show some sort of interest in conservation and sustainability of fisheries because that is the last thing that has been happening in the last 20 years since the original convention. It is shocking to think that it is 20 years since that very laudable document was introduced. We have utterly failed to live up to the precautionary principle, to the ideals of sustainability which were so cleverly and clearly outlined in that convention.
It is now a time of crisis for fisheries because of the over-exploitation. At the latest Johannesburg Summit a date of 2015 was set to reduce the unsustainable behaviour of fisheries throughout the world. Many people in the environmental movement believe that was an incredible failure of the Johannesburg process, to cut back the resolution of the problem yet again by another decade or so. It is about time we started acting and not just talking about sustainability. It is a shame on this country that environmentalists believe that the Irish Government is just as bad as the rest when it comes to talking about conservation but not living up to it. We will chase after our own quotas regardless of conservation consequences. We will try to protect our interests when what is needed throughout the developed world is a genuine commitment to conservation. I can only hope but I am very sceptical that the enactment of this Act will move in that direction.
I refer to the United Nations convention on conservation and there is one area where I believe we are not carrying out our duties of conservation and that is regarding the protection of other species which are caught up in the fishing of migratory species such as tuna and marlin. I am speaking about the catching of common dolphin and harbour porpoises by Irish fishing vessels. The Minister will know that there has been much controversy about the application of twin trawling techniques in the Bay of Biscay by Irish boats where on certain occasions twin trawling boats, it is reported, have caught up to 30 dolphin in one trawl, causing the deaths of those dolphins.
The Irish public buys its tin of tuna and feel all is well with the world again because we have tacked the issue and we are now buying dolphin-friendly tuna. That is not the case. When I addressed the Minister’s Department on this issue, I was told that a small contingent from BIM was sent to test out a new sonar device which was designed to keep dolphins away from the nets. This is only a minuscule investment in terms of time and attention and it is not being taken seriously. When I asked about the commitment for the next season beginning in May that each boat would be required to carry out preventative measures, yet again there were no plans. On the very issue which this Bill deals with, how to fish migratory fish such as tuna, it seems to me that we are in disregard of the UN convention which we are trying to enact. We are talking the talk but not acting out the conservation measures that are proposed.
In the Irish Sea and in other close-in waters we still see large depth dolphins caught in gill netting systems. The numbers may have gone down slightly because our level of fishing is gone down but it is still going on at an unsustainable level and is diminishing those populations. The public would be up in arms if it was aware of the lack of Government activity in this area.
A solution was mentioned in regard to tuna fishing. This Bill is primarily about those migratory species. It is worthwhile talking about the possible use of long lines with hooks on them but we must be careful. There has been talk, because of the lack of success for Irish fishermen in the twin trawling system, of moving towards a long line system. In the introduction of any such system the Minister would have to apply a technique where any lines are laid beneath the water surface so that seabirds are not caught up in them. This has been a problem in similar systems around the world where fulmars or other birds going for the bait coming off the boats get caught and killed. If we are going to develop the fishing of these migratory species we will have to be the leading country in terms of conservation measures. I get no sense of that happening despite this Bill coming before the House today.
Let us look at the issue of how this legislation could improve the lot of Irish fishermen. I used any opportunity I got in debate with the Minister to raise the issues of the Irish Box and the difficulties faced by the Irish facing industry. I have said that we should use conservation measures in a positive way in terms of restricting fishing activity and giving our local smaller boats a chance. For example, Irish fishermen fishing for hake in the south-west waters use a 120 mm mesh net by regulation whereas Spanish and French boats possibly use 100 mm filament net. However, if an Irish Navy boat boards them and tries to prosecute they have the excuse that they are allowed to carry that net because they could have been fishing in the Bay of Biscay, or elsewhere, where such a mesh size is allowed. Perhaps in this instance we could use this legislation to say “No” and to insist that if they are in Irish waters they cannot carry that net. We could say the mesh size is against our conservation measures and is not allowed. That would be one way of restricting the invasion of foreign boats into Irish waters. When I put this possibility to the Minister the reply was that it would not be possible. The lack of effort in conservation is to be criticised. It is not sustainable in terms of fish stocks nor does it protect our jobs.
A detail in the explanatory notes on the Bill which sets out some of the licensing agreement was interesting. To reiterate what Deputy Broughan said, when one reads the considerations that these take into account in licensing a boat it is astonishing that conservation measures are just put in as a postscript at the end. The first four or five points that have to be taken into consideration are local economic interests. When we look at the section in regard to boat licensing we wonder what our Government was doing when it gave such a massive tonnage licence to boats like the Veronica and the Atlantic Dawn. How can the Government possibly justify the tonnage given that it will bring less jobs than an allocation of the tonnage to a greater number of boats would have done? It will bring less landings and less benefits to Irish ports. It is time the Government gave an explanation of its rationale in licensing those boats. Silence is not a sufficient answer if the Government is espousing conservation policies.
The appeal system introduced is welcome. I also welcome the general content of the Bill. However, it will be to no avail if the Government does not pursue the conservation agenda rigorously. Fish do not have votes and that is part of our problem. Ultimately, if we continue to ignore the need to maintain viable fish stocks the people whose livelihoods depend on those fish stocks will realise that our lack of implementation of conservation measures cost them their jobs in the long run. The State had better stop signing Acts and ratifying treaties but not implementing them. That is my criticism of the fishing policy pursued by this Government.
