Latest fishing news from Ireland:
Marine minister Michael Creed has launched a public consultation on a proposal to implement a phased pilot quota balancing scheme for demersal stocks, to assist with the full implementation of the Landing Obligation.
Quota balancing means where a vessel exceeds its catch limit for a relevant stock during a fishery management period, a balancing adjustment is made from a future catch limit for that vessel.
A multiplying factor will apply; the greater the excess catch when compared with the catch limit, the larger the balancing adjustment that will be made.
The objective of the Landing Obligation is to eliminate ‘wasteful and unsustainable practice’ of discarding fish at sea.
Key Points:
This is a pilot scheme for demersal stocks. A pilot scheme for pelagic stocks was introduced on 1 st January 2018 by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Quota Balancing means that where a vessel exceeds its catch limit for a relevant stock during a fishery management period, a balancing adjustment is made from a future catch limit for that vessel.
A multiplying factor applies so that the greater the excess catch when compared with the catch limit, the larger the balancing adjustment that will be made.
A Quota Balancing system is being introduced on a phased basis to assist with the full implementation of the Landing Obligation requirements. The objective of the Landing Obligation is to eliminate the wasteful and unsustainable practice of discarding fish at sea.
The Quota Balancing system is a management, conservation and rational exploitation measure that will aid the Minister in matching catch limit to actual catch to support the Landing Obligation requirements.
The arrangements will aim to provide for a small bycatch for the relevant demersal stocks to support the continuation of other fisheries in the area, as long as there is national quota available.
Quota Balancing by the Department is independent of any action being considered or taken by the control authorities.