Fisheries conservation inside 6-mile zone and Celtic Sea

From January 1, trawling by all vessels over 18m in length is banned within Ireland’s 6-mile zone, except for a sprat fishery which will be phased out by 2021 to give vessels in the fishery time to transition to other activities.

The ban, which will limit activity to smaller fishing vessels, will support small-scale fisheries and island fishermen, and provide wider ecosystem benefits for nursery and juvenile fish stocks.

“This new policy will, I believe, support the development of small-scale inshore and sea-angling sectors which is a government commitment,” remarked Michael Creed, Minister for the Marine.

The decision follows a public consultation in 2018 and ‘was greeted extremely positively by many in the fishing sector and the wider environmental conservation sector, according to the department.

The National Inshore Fishermen’s Association and the National Inshore Fishermen’s Forum hailed the decision as ‘undoubtedly the most significant policy decision made in the history of the State in terms of supporting Ireland’s inshore fishing sector.

‘From a social, economic, environmental and moral perspective, this was the right decision.’

It was similarly heralded by Padraig Fogarty (Irish Wildlife Trust) who said it was “the biggest step we have every seem towards marine conservation in Ireland”.

Mesh size increase

At the December Fisheries Council, ministers agreed a 25% increase in the mesh size for mixed whitefish in the Celtic Sea.

The new measures will help rebuild the depleted cod and whiting fish stocks and provide substantial benefits for all whitefish stocks in Ireland’s inshore waters, Minister Creed added.

“As this will involve a change in the fishing gear used by Irish fishermen, I have asked BIM to provide grant-aid support to them to reduce the costs of the required fishing gear change.”