Common Fisheries Policy Review

IFA Aquaculture is member of the Common Fisheries Policy Review Group and will make submissions and contributions on behalf of the Irish Aquaculture industry.

The current Common Fisheries Policy Regulation (Regulation EU 380/2013) concludes at the end of 2022. Minister for Agriculture, Food & the Marine, Charlie Mc Conalogue T.D., announced the establishment of a Common Fisheries Policy Review Group, chaired by Mr John Malone, former Secretary General of the Department of Agriculture on the 9 February 2022. 

The review group will be assisted by a steering committee comprising Mr Micheal O’Cinneide, former Director of the Marine Institute and Environmental Protection Agency and Mr Donal Maguire, former Director in BIM. 

The Group will include representatives of stakeholders, including Producer Organisations and, National Inshore Fisheries Forum, IFA Aquaculture, Fishing Co-Ops, Seafood processing industry and environmental NGOs, as well as senior managers from BIM and the Marine Institute. 

The Minister has asked the Group, in making its recommendations in relation to the CFP Review, to focus on supporting the social and economic health of our fisheries dependant coastal communities, economic development in our sea-food sector, delivering long term sustainability of fish stocks and maximising protection of habitats and the marine environment.

The purpose of the Review Group is to examine the issues that arise for Ireland in the review of the Common Fisheries Policy, advise the Minister on priorities for the negotiations; and identify strategies that have the strongest possible probability of achieving change. The Group will also advise on progressing within the review of the CFP the opportunities identified in the report of Seafood Task Force – Navigating Change to restore quota share parity following the EU/UK agreement whereby Ireland carries an unequal and unfair burden of the EU fish quota transfers to the UK.

IFA Aquaculture is member of the CFP Review Group and will make submissions and contributions on behalf of the Irish Aquaculture industry.

Further, at EU level the EU Commission carried a public consultation to prepare a report on the functioning of the CFP, under Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 (the CFP Regulation). The objective of this report is to address the functioning of the CFP and look at how we can strengthen its implementation. A copy of the report can be found here.

IFA Aquaculture’s submission to the EU Commission can be found here.