Marine Minister Charlie McConalogue attended the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Luxembourg on Monday (23 October) where there were a number of important fisheries items on the agenda.
Among those were an exchange of views on the EU priorities for the upcoming ICCAT (International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna) meeting in Cairo.
Minister McConalogue welcomed the positive stock assessment for northern albacore tuna and the significant increase on the current total allowable catch.
He added that Ireland “calls to reopen a discussion within the EU on internal reallocation of the EU’s bluefin tuna quota in light of the new management plan and the recent adjustment to the ICCAT sharing arrangements”.
Another important aspect of the meeting were contributions from member states on the ongoing negotiations in respect of the Baltic Sea 2024 Fishing Opportunities Regulation.
The minister welcomed the progress that had been made by participating member states on the Baltic Sea 2024 Fishing Opportunities Regulation.
Minister McConalogue will attend the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture Food and the Marine later this Wednesday (25 October) to present the Sustainability Impact Assessment in relation to 2024 fishing opportunities for Ireland.
This is an important step in Ireland’s preparation for the annual fisheries negotiations and is an opportunity for the minister to hear the views of the Oireachtas Committee before the negotiations commence later this month.