The Sea Fisheries Protection Agency says it conducted over 2,200 fishing vessel inspections and opened 85 case files last year.
In its 2023 annual report, it recorded a total of 2,222 inspections of fishing vessels, and issued 1,343 food safety official controls.
It said that 67 food safety incidents/complaints were investigated last year.
The SFPA was also responsible for processing 3,802 export health certificates for 49,782 tonnes of produce from 44 Irish export businesses.
It also issued 744 catch certificates for 19,187 tonnes of Irish seafood export, and took 1,585 shellfish samples.
It said that four prosecutions for offences under food safety legislation were initiated or underway before the courts, two of which concluded in 2023 with convictions and fines imposed on the food business operators.
These related to breaches of food hygiene, traceability and food premises requirements under EU food safety law.
“The operational demands on the SFPA continue to increase in line with regulatory changes and the trade requirements of the UK and other trading partners,”it says.
“From a fisheries control perspective, 2023 was a significant year with the implementation of the European Commission approved sea-fisheries control plan. The functioning of the control plan progressed satisfactorily over the course of the year,”it said.
“A new EU fisheries control regulation completed its journey through the European Union’s legislative process in 2023. The SFPA has monitored the implications of the new regulation throughout and continues to appraise industry of what the new requirements will entail as the new measures take effect,”it said.
Irish seafood exports in 2023 were valued at €550 million, it said.
It said that 2023 also saw a revision of control measures for the export of live crab to China, which should see the reestablishment of this trade.
Commenting on the publication of the 2023 Annual Report, SFPA executive chair Paschal Hayes said that “in a challenging climate for Ireland’s sea-fisheries and seafood sector in 2023, the SFPA continued to provide regulatory oversight of our sea-fishing fleet and our seafood processing sector, underpinning the sustainability and safety of our internationally renowned seafood offering”.
“The SFPA demonstrated its capacity as the effective, fair regulator and promoter of compliance with sea-fisheries and seafood safety law throughout the year,”Hayes said.
