asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry if he intends to seek a total EEC ban, in the interests of conservation, on purse seining within the Irish 200-mile zone.

In the light of the scientific evidence available to me I would not be justified in seeking a total EEC ban on purse seining for conservation purposes within our exclusive fishery limits.

Would the Minister consider a ban on purse seining for certain species, especially those in danger, such as herring?

The only way to introduce a ban such as the Deputy requests is by EEC regulation or Irish national regulation made with the approval of the EEC Commission and that could only be based on the scientific evidence available. The scientific evidence available to ICES does not consider that damage to stocks is done by purse seining. My feeling is that if quotas are fixed and enforced the method of fishing is not as important as how we decide on the quotas and see that they are abided by. There are restrictions on purse seining in the Celtic Sea for herring and other stocks. That is necessary because it is backed up by scientific evidence.