The Seafood Ireland Alliance (SIA) has expressed its disappointment, though not surprise, regarding the government’s decision to prohibit trawlers exceeding 18 meters in length from fishing within six nautical miles of the Irish coast.
Ministers Heydon and Dooley announced this ban will be enforced starting in October 2026.
According to the SIA, “While this ban is broad, its primary target is the sprat fishery, which has recently been the subject of intense public scrutiny.”
The alliance states that despite its repeated calls for effective and sustainable management of the sprat fishery, the government has chosen to disregard scientific advice and “succumb to populism” instead.
A spokesperson for the SIA stated, “While the ban will exclude larger vessels, it won’t improve the scientific understanding or management of the sprat fishery. Crucially, it fails to address the need for science-based management across our fisheries.”
The SIA acknowledges the necessity of improving inshore water management. However, they emphasize that Brexit has already significantly impacted Irish fishing vessels of all sizes due to reduced quotas.
They added, “These new restrictions will only exacerbate the existing pressure, without resolving the fundamental management challenges within inshore fisheries.”
“This blanket ban will displace vessels into the already strained whitefish and prawn fisheries. Moreover, vessels slightly over 18 meters will be forced to fish further offshore in more challenging weather conditions, potentially endangering the safety of the fishermen,” they explained.
Reiterating the SIA’s disappointment, the spokesperson stated, “The government and the department seem to place more trust in voices outside the industry than within it. Constructive engagement with the entire industry, alongside the expertise of BIM and the Marine Institute, leading to effective and long-term sustainable management, would have been a far more productive approach.”
Seafood Alliance ‘disappointed’ with government’s large trawler ban was last modified: July 24th, 2025 by
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