Over 2,700 fishing vessels inspected in Irish waters over past year

Fishing vessels from Russia, Norway and 10 EU member states were among over 2,700 inspected in Irish waters over the past year, according to the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority.

Ten of the 2,745 inspected were detained by the Naval Service for infringements ranging from under-recording of catch to incorrect equipment on board. However, fishermen are making a "genuine effort" to comply with new regulations banning discarding fish at sea, which has been applied initially to the pelagic (mackerel/herring) sector, authority chief executive Susan Steele said. The ban will be extended to several whitefish species from January 1st.

Inland Fisheries Ireland co-operated to "help protect the long-term sustainability of Ireland's valuable crab, lobster and whelk fisheries".

“Ireland’s sea-fisheries and seafood sectors together are worth an estimated €850 million annually to the Irish economy and over 11,000 people rely on them for their livelihoods,” Ms Steele said.