Observers may be put on big fish processing vessels to combat overfishing
He warned also that the fishing industry will have to be very careful that no one boat would go over the weekly or monthly quota as it could result in fisheries being closed early.
Mr Coveney is negotiating how much of each fish species will be allocated to the Irish fishing fleet for the next year, a process that is expected to go on over two days, possibly finishing late this evening.
His possibly opening the door to having inspectors on board big factory ships comes after a Dutch vessel found to have illegal grading equipment on board lost a record sum in catch and gear in a Cork Court in July.
Other vessels have also been found breaking the rules and a petition has been signed by more than 30,000 people asking the minister to consider taking action.
Asked about on-board observers , Mr Coveney said: “I would like to explore that but they will say we must have them on board all big pelagic vessels. I am not sure about that — maybe we should have them on board those that are processing. There is no need to make villains out of them because they are big”.
However, he added that Ireland cannot ban super trawlers and freezer vessels, as Australia has done.
“Anything we would do would have to have the agreement of other European countries,” he said.
Asked about the danger of taking by-catch, such as haddock when fishing for prawns, and as a result running out of the haddock quota early with the closure of the fishery some months early, Mr Coveney said the the decision of when quota is reached is taken with the industry.
“Quota is a national asset and we allocate on a weekly basis working with the industry, so there is no reason we cannot manage quota throughout year,” he said.
He added extra quota allocated this year to compensate for quota being fished unintentionally should help. However, he warned: “If one boat goes beyond their quota we will have to limit their quota later in the season as they will be affecting other boats.”
The issues being decided at this year’s quota-fixing meeting were extra complex for Ireland as there is the addition of the new system of allocations matching maximum sustainable yields — making sure enough fish are left in the sea to regenerate the species.
Eibhlin O’Sullivan, CEO of the Irish South and West Fish Producers, said the ministers must ensure the survival of both stocks and fishermen.
