Commission revokes Ireland’s fish weighing derogation

The European Commission has revoked its derogation of Ireland’s control plan for weighing fishery products in accordance with a 2009 European Council regulation.

In 2012, the Commission approved Ireland’s ‘control plan’ to weigh fishery products landed in Ireland, after transport. Ireland was permitted to weigh fish products at a ‘destination on the territory of the Member State concerned’.

An Commission audit in Ireland in 2018 aimed at monitoring implementation of the control plan however identified ‘irregularities’ that were ‘subsequently confirmed by an administrative enquiry’ conducted by the Sea-fisheries Protection Authority’.

This revealed that Ireland ‘has failed to ensure effective implementation of the control plan’ in accordance with the objections of the 2009 regulation. In particular, the Commission’s ‘implementing decision’ notes that operators ‘did not have in place a weighing system fit-for-purpose’. The audit also identified ‘manipulation of weighing systems’.

Despite being aware of these ‘shortcomings’, Ireland did not take ‘appropriate measures to address such noncompliance, in particular by withdrawing the permission to weigh after transport’.

Consequently, the control plan ‘does not minimise the risk of systematic manipulation of weighing pelagic catches in Ireland and under-declaration of catches by operators’.

On this basis, ‘Ireland cannot guarantee an effective control of landed quantities of catches and minimise the risk of noncompliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy‘.

Failure to ensure ‘appropriate weighing also puts at risk the accuracy of the data reported that are essential for control purposes and monitoring of the uptake of fishing quotas’.

Reaction

The SFPA is to meet with the demersal and pelagic sectors of the fishing industry to set out the changes required.

“The accurate weighing of catches remains the responsibility of the industry,” remarked Dr Susan Steele, chair of the SFPA. We will be working to ensure that industry can introduce these efficiently and in a way that assures compliance with EU regulations.”

“The decision is a clear marker of tougher fisheries controls across the EU. The SFPA takes its commitments under the CFP very seriously. We have been working with the Commission and EU control partners, including EFCA, and with the support of government, to improve Ireland’s compliance assessment capabilities.”

This includes expansion of the SFPA’s detection and inspection resources as well as changes to fisheries controls “to ensure Ireland has a strong regulatory system”.