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Creed Delivers 8% Increase in Value of Whitefish Quotas for Irish fishermen

Increase of 15% in €80m prawn quota Sea bass angling tourism protected

Following two days of intensive negotiations which ended at 7.30am this morning, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed T.D. secured a total package of fish quotas worth €266 million for Irish fishermen for 2018.

For 2018, a total of 40,168 tonnes of whitefish quotas were agreed.   Minister Creed said that "The total €152m value of the whitefish quotas secured for the Irish fishing fleet amounts to a 8% increase in value from last year and a 3% increase in volume. I am satisfied that this is a good and balanced result overall".

Ireland’s quota for prawns amounts to 10,729 tonnes with a value of €83m.   The Minister said "This year we secured a  15% increase in prawns, worth over €10.6m directly to the Irish fleet, which is the biggest single increase in over a decade and shows the very healthy state of this stock, overall. 

The rebuilding of many of our stocks is also demonstrated by a 34% increase in our whitefish quotas off the north-west coast and a 64% increase in the Irish Sea compared to 5 years ago - both areas where stocks were depleted.

Minister Creed spoke of the positive outcome for the Irish Seawhere he said that “the Irish sea cod and haddock stocks have recovered after many years of intensive industry led conservation measures.   The cod stock in particular was in a near state of collapse since 2000.   The work done to rebuild this stock and the haddock stock has paid off this year with significant increases for both quotas for our East coast fleets.”

The Celtic Sea herring fishery is managed under a plan prepared by the Irish fishing sector which requires a 30% cut in 2018Minister Creed said “In line with the recommendation of the Irish fishing sector, we have followed the Management plan for Celtic Sea herring.   This plan is precautionary and the cut is required to rebuild the stock after a period of decline since 2015.

A very difficult proposal concerned our recreational sea bass fishery where the Commission had sought a complete ban on angling for 6 months of the year.  Minister Creed successfully argued for an all year round ‘catch and release’ fishery that would not endanger the stock while protecting this vital tourism resource.

The Minister spoke of his satisfaction that in this year’s Council another important step has been to deliver stocks at maximum sustainable levels. “The progress we have made this year will continue the journey we are all on to rebuild our fish stocks which underpin the future of our industry and our coastal communities.”

The Minister concluded "There were a number of difficult issues facing us this year but I believe that the final package is a balanced and sustainable one.   I would also like to express my appreciation for the cooperation and assistance I received from the fishing industry and NGO representatives in Brussels during the negotiations and in the months preceding them.”

The main outcomes negotiated include

  • In the North West, a 20% increase in monkfish, a 21% increase for horse mackerel and  a 26% increase in the haddock for the ports of Greencastle and Killybegs
  • A 15% increase in the prawn quota, worth €10.6m, which benefits the ports of Clogherhead, Howth, Union Hall, Castletownbere, Dingle and Ros a Mhíl.
  • In the Irish Sea the recovery in the cod stock has seen a trebling of the quota; the Irish Sea haddock quota has also increased by 55%.  These stocks are mainly important for the ports of Clogherhead, Howth and Kilmore Quay.
  • A 13% increase for Albacore Tuna which is important for the southern ports of Castletownbere and Dingle;
  • For the mixed whitefish fisheries off the South and West coasts, a 2% increase in cod, a roll over in monkfish, an 11% reduction in haddock; and a 19% reduction in whiting all in accordance with the scientific advice.

 

STOCK

AREA

2017 Quota

2018 Quota

Change

Value 2018

       

 

   

Cod

VIIa

97

458

372%

€1.05

372%

Cod

VII b-k

739

756

2.3%

€0.05

2%

Megrims

VII

2,266

2,263

0%

-€0.01

0%

Monkfish

VII

2,540

2,547

0%

€0.03

0%

Haddock

VII b-k

1,722

1,532

-11%

-€0.35

-11%

Haddock

VIIa

898

1,388

55%

€0.91

55%

Whiting

VIIa

46

46

0%

€0.00

0%

Whiting

VIIb-k

7,646

6,180

-19%

-€1.88

-19%

Norway lobster

VII

9,352

10,729

14.7%

€10.63

15%

Plaice

VIIa

768

1,172

53%

€0.78

53%

Plaice

VII bc

63

67

6%

€0.01

6%

Plaice

VII fg

199

203

2%

€0.01

2%

Plaice

VII hjk

56

56

0%

€0.00

0%

Pollack

VII

927

927

0%

€0.00

0%

Saithe

VII

1,491

1,492

0%

€0.00

0%

Common sole

VIIa

17

17

0%

€0.00

-1%

Common sole

VII bc

36

36

0%

€0.00

-1%

Common sole

VII fg

26

29

12%

€0.03

12%

Common sole

VII hjk

171

178

4%

€0.06

4%

Sub Total (Area VII)

29,060

30,076

3%

€11.32

10%

 

STOCK

AREA

2017 Quota

2018 Quota

Change

Value 2018

Cod

VIb  

16

16

0%

€0.00

3%

Cod

VIa

0

0

 

€0.00

 

Megrims

VI

736

704

-4%

-€0.11

-4%

Monkfish

VI

765

918

20%

€0.64

20%

Haddock

VIb XII XIV

411

428

4%

€0.03

4%

Haddock

VIa Vb

605

761

26%

€0.29

26%

Whiting

VI

64

64

0%

€0.00

-1%

Norway lobster

VI

222

164

-26%

-€0.45

-26%

Plaice

VI

261

261

0%

€0.00

0%

Pollack

VI

56

56

0%

€0.00

0%

Saithe

VI

427

429

0%

€0.00

0%

Common sole

VI

46

46

0%

€0.00

0%

Sub Total (Area VI)

3,609

3,847

7%

€0.41

3.6%

 

STOCK

AREA

2017 Quota

2018 Quota

Change

Value 2018

Tusk

V, VI, VII

53

57

8%

€0.00

 

Hake

VI, VII

3,732

3,464

-7%

-€0.62

-7%

Blue Ling

Vb,VI,VII

32

32

0%

€0.00

 

Blue Ling

II, IV

4

4

0%

€0.00

 

Ling

VI - IX, X, XII, XIV

1,008

1,008

0%

€0.00

0%

Skates & Rays

VI, VIIa-c, & e-k

1,100

1,266

15%

€0.23

15%

Greenland Halibut

IIa, IV, VI

16

16

0%

€0.00

 

Spurdog

 I, V - VIII, XII, XIV

53

53

0%

€0.00

 

Cod

I,II

344

345

0%

€0.00

0%

Redfish

V, XII, XIV (Shallow)

0

0

 

€0.00

 

Redfish

V, XII, XIV (Deep)

0

0

 

€0.00

 

Sub Total (Shared Area VI & VII)

6,342

6,245

-1.5%

-€0.38

-3%

 

Stock

AREA

2017 Quota

2018 Quota

Change

Value 2018

Greater silver smelt

III, IV

7

8

14%

€0.00

14%

Greater silver smelt

V, VI, VII

274

329

20%

€0.04

20%

Boarfish

VI, VII,VIII

18,858

14,084

-25%

-€0.84

-25%

Herring

VIaN

630

630

0%

€0.00

0%

Herring

VIaS, VIIbc

1,482

1,482

0%

€0.00

0%

Herring

VIIa

1,074

1,826

70%

€0.28

70%

Herring

VII ghjk

12,502

8,748

-30%

-€1.38

-30%

Blue whiting

I - VIII a,b,d,e XII,XIV

45,547

47,451

4%

€0.45

4%

Mackerel

VI, VII

86,426

69,141

-20%

-€16.40

-20%

Horse mackerel

IVb, IVc, and VIId

438

376

-14%

-€0.05

-14%

Horse mackerel

IIa,IVa,VI,VIIa-c,e-k,VIIIabe

21,153

25,625

21%

€3.62

21%

Herring

I, II

3,731

2,512

-33%

-€0.45

-33%

Albacore

North Atlantic

2,514

2,845

13%

€0.81

13%

TOTAL PELAGIC

194,636

175,057

-10%

-€13.93

-11%

 

Stock

AREA

2017 Quota

2018 Quota

Change

Value 2018

Deep Sea Sharks

XII

0

0

 

€0.00

 

Black Scabbardfish

V, VI, VII, XII

84

74

-12%

-€0.03

-12%

Alfonsinos

I - X, XII, XIV

9

9

0%

€0.00

0%

Roundnose Grenadier

Vb, VI, VII

198

203

3%

€0.01

3%

Roundnose Grenadier

VIII, IX, X, XII, XIV

4

3

-25%

€0.00

-25%

Orange Roughy

VI

0

0

 

€0.00

 

Orange Roughy

VII

0

0

 

€0.00

 

Orange Roughy

I - V, VIII - XII, XIV

0

0

 

€0.00

 

Red Seabream

VI, VII, VIII

4

4

0%

€0.00

0%

Forkbeards

V, VI, VII

278

247

-11%

-€0.05

-11%

TOTAL DEEPWATER

577

540

-6%

-€0.07

-6%

 ENDS

 

Date Released: 13 December 2017

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