Tag Archives: Sea Fisheries Protection Agency

Inspectors checked on just 6% of Irish trawlers in 2022

Only 6% of Irish-flagged trawlers were subjected to checks by this country’s fishery inspection officers last year compared to far higher numbers for many other countries, according to official figures supplied by the Sea Fisheries Protection Agency (SFPA). Last year, the SFPA said it used a “risk-based methodology for inspection” of fishing boats to carry out checks on catches and Norwegian-registered vessels came top for inspections at 92%. The SFPA said 41% of Spanish-flagged vessels, which have for a long time had a significant presence in Irish waters, were inspected. A similar percentage of British and French-flagged vessels were inspected, while 33% of Belgium-flagged trawlers were also checked.  >click to read< 17:45

Fish plant fined in court for tampering with weighing scales

A Donegal fish processing plant which was found to be tampering with its weighing scales has been fined a total of €45,000. Killybegs based Norfish Ltd and director Tony Byrne were convicted at Donegal Circuit Court. Byrne of Roshin Road, Killybegs was given a six-month suspended prison sentence and ordered to pay €10,000 to a local hospice and a further €10,000 to the Donegal Branch of the RNLI. Norfish Ltd was given three months to pay a €25,000 fine. This prosecution followed a joint investigation by the NSAI (National Standards Authority of Ireland) and the Sea Fisheries Protection Agency (SFPA). They found an electrical switch fitted to the company’s flow scales used to weigh incoming fish catches. It could be used to turn off the scales, allowing the fish to pass over without being weighed. read the rest click here 11:27

Why this Irish trawling company missed out on the big Blufin Tuna money

trevor%20devereuxDue to Ireland’s fishing quotas, fishermen are not permitted to catch and sell Bluefin fish, which are protected under Irish law. Employees of O’Flaherty’s Brothers Limited, based in Kilmore Quay, Co. Wexford accidently caught eight of the fish which have been frequenting Irish waters. In Japan, they can fetch up to €100,000 due to high demand, as the Bluefin is a popular form of sushi. The Sea Fisheries Protection Agency granted a waiver to allow O’Flaherty’s to sell them for a total sum of €5,000. However, Seamus O’Flaherty, one of the owners of the company, says Ireland’s economy could be benefitting a lot more from the influx of the “extremely valuable” fish. “These fish are worth a fortune. While we got some money for them, we got nothing compared to what we could have done if we sold them to an established market in Japan, which we’re not allowed to do,” Mr O’Flaherty told Independent.ie. “It’s a tragedy because there is a very valuable fishery off the Irish coast and the only people who are allowed to partake in it are the Spanish and French. Read the story here 11:07