Following on from my question two weeks ago in the Dáil about Ireland retaining our fishing rights off Rockall, in recent years the population of bluefin tuna has significantly increased. Denmark and Norway have successfully applied to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas and received quotas, while the Japanese fleet is fishing along the 200-mile international limit to freeze bluefin tuna for its market. This raises concerns about its carbon footprint and unlicensed fishing practices. While I know Ireland has requested the opening of discussions at EU level to advance our case for bluefin tuna quota, we also know that other member states are resistant to any discussion on amending relative stability for this stock. What action is our new Minister for the marine taking to secure a bluefin tuna quota for Ireland? Additionally, when can we expect to receive our quota, given the abundance of this fish in Irish waters?

My understanding is that, as the Deputy has rightly outlined, we do not have a national quota on this. At the time when this was being divvied up, there was not a track record of commercial fishing for bluefin tuna. Obviously, that has changed. What we have now is a small bluefin tuna bycatch quota which is available to Ireland, primarily for use in our important Northern Ireland albacore tuna fishery and Celtic Sea herring fishery, when there can be bluefin tuna bycatch. Any changes, as the Deputy has mentioned, would have to be negotiated with our European counterparts, where there would be an element of taking away from other member states in terms of the quotas they have. The role of our Minister is to make sure that we raise these issues and that we engage with our European counterparts. Our objective when it comes to the European Presidency in the next year and a half is to do everything possible to support our agriculture and fishing industries. Where possible changes could take place, that is the place to do it and the place to try to drive it.