EU Fisheries Control Agency officials recently met Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) counterparts to discuss “best practices” in fisheries conservation and control measures.
An EFCA delegation visited Killybegs, Co Donegal and Castletownbere, Co Cork, along with SFPA headquarters in Clonakilty, and met seafood industry members.
The SFPA, Ireland’s authority for sea fisheries and seafood production, says the meeting was “part of overall efforts by EFCA to promote greater uniformity between member states”.
This is in relation to the implementation of control and conservation measures as part of the EU Common Fisheries Policy, the SFPA says.
The discussion was said to be “wide-ranging and productive”. It included exchanges on practices in relation to the weighing of bulk pelagic and demersal landings, as well as methodologies associated with sampling plans.
“The visiting EFCA delegation was also appraised of the specific measures under Ireland’s sea-fisheries control and sampling plans, which enables Ireland to meet its obligations under the EU Common Fisheries Policy,” the SFPA says.
The plan, which came into effect on January 1st, provides a derogation under regulation which facilitates an exemption from weighing on landing for 95% of bulk pelagic landings and a proportion of demersal fish landings.
It enables weighing of fish after transport in permitted establishments, unless directed otherwise at landing by a sea-fisheries protection officer of the SFPA.
The SFPA recently noted a high level of compliance by the Irish seafood industry in its annual report.
The report stated that the SFPA monitored over 47,000 landings of commercially caught seafish, valued at over €435 million in 2021.