A national asset is in the hands of a Dutch consortium after it purchased Ireland's largest trawler, Atlantic Dawn, which had the entire fishing quota for blue whiting, Sinn Féin's marine spokesman, Martin Ferris, claimed in the Dáil.
Minister of State for the Marine, John Browne, said however "the vessel owners do not own the quota". The Atlantic Dawn had been de-registered and its unused allocation "has automatically reverted to the national pool", he said. Mr Browne agreed with Mr Ferris that the quota stayed with the vessel for two years after purchase.
Mr Ferris said that meant a national asset was "being exploited by a Dutch consortium for two years when it should in fact be divided among the Irish fleet".He asked if the Minister accepted "the implications of the decision to allocate so much of the national quota to one vessel and how fair that was. In allocating that quota, the Government has discriminated primarily against the greater Irish fleet".
Mr Browne pointed out however that "if the owners of Atlantic Dawn have a replacement vessel registered and licensed and ready for the autumn fishery, the replacement vessel will be eligible for an allocation of the herring quota".
