Pictured aboard the Lundy Sentinel in Cork Harbour at an event on the 20th November, to mark World Fisheries Day and a joint deployment in Irish waters between the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) and European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) to promote compliance with national and EU sea-fisheries legislation, (from l – r): Cristina Morgado, Deputy Head of Unit EU Waters and North Atlantic, EFCA; Paschal Hayes, Executive Chairperson, SFPA; Susan Steele, Executive Director, EFCA and Michael Finn, Authority Member, SFPA. Susan Steele is pictured presenting an EFCA medal to Paschal Hayes and Michael Finn to commemorate the ongoing collaboration between the two organisations.
Deployment provides additional capabilities to support sea-fisheries control and compliance measures in Irish waters
To mark this year’s World Fisheries Day and a Joint Deployment Plan* in collaboration with the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) to promote compliance with national and EU sea-fisheries legislation within Ireland’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) hosted an event on the 20th November 2022 aboard the Lundy Sentinel patrol ship in Cork Harbour.
The event showcased the collaboration between the SFPA, Ireland’s competent regulatory authority for sea-fisheries and seafood production, and EFCA, responsible for operational coordination of fisheries control and inspection activities by member states of the European Union.
The Joint Deployment Plan involves the deployment of the EFCA chartered Lundy Sentinel in Irish waters supporting the ongoing fishery protection services work undertaken by the SFPA in collaboration with the Naval Service and Air Corps. As part of this year’s Western Waters JDP an EFCA aircraft will operate in tandem with the sea-patrols conducted by the Lundy Sentinel and the Irish control service.
The Joint Deployment Plan provides additional operational capabilities to promote compliance with sea-fisheries legislation in Irish waters of EU and non-EU flagged vessels. It provides important support for the SFPA’s work in ensuring the sustainability of Ireland’s marine resources and protecting the long-term viability of the sea-fisheries industry.
Paschal Hayes, Executive Chairperson of the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority said,
“Protecting the long-term viability and health of our marine ecosystems and ensuring long-term sustainability for our fishing industries and communities is an issue of significance not only here in Ireland but across Europe. Our work with the European Fisheries Control Agency is a critical element in supporting the overall remit of the SFPA to ensure the sustainability and future viability of Ireland’s sea-fisheries and marine resources, an industry that supports over 16,500 jobs in coastal communities across Ireland.”
Susan Steele, Executive Director of the European Fisheries Control Agency said,
“Our work strongly contributes towards sustainable fisheries by enhancing compliance with existing conservation and management measures to the benefit of present and future generations.
This is a valuable aspect to the patrol where inspectors from different Member States work together to deliver harmonized fisheries control with the support of EFCA liaison on board and the EFCA coordination centre in Vigo.
For the first time ever, an EFCA directed aircraft will also operate in Irish waters in tandem with the patrol ship Lundy Sentinel, transmitting live aerial patrol footage to the EFCA centre in Vigo and the Fisheries Monitoring Centre (FMC) in Haulbowline, Cork.”
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About the SFPA
The Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) is the independent statutory body responsible for the regulation of the sea-fisheries and the sea-food production sectors. It promotes compliance with the EU Common Fisheries Policy, sea-fisheries law and food safety law relating to fish and fish products, verifies compliance and, where necessary, enforces it. Its mandate covers all fishing vessels operating within Ireland’s 200-mile limit, over 2,000 Irish registered fishing vessels wherever they operate, and all seafood produced in Ireland’s seafood processing companies. The SFPA operates through a network of regional port offices situated at Ireland’s main fishery harbours. For further information visit: www.sfpa.ie
About EFCA: The European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) is a European Union body established in 2005 to organise operational coordination of fisheries control and inspection activities by the Member States and to assist them to cooperate so as to comply with the rules of the Common EU Fisheries Policy in order to ensure its effective and uniform application. EFCA has its official operational base in Vigo, Spain. For further information visit EFCA.
Notes to editors:
*About the Joint Deployment Plan (JDP): EFCA JDPs are a year-round activity covering a wide range of fisheries with the permanent exchange of information and intelligence and control activities planned based on risk assessment results in consultation with Member States. Ireland participates in JDPs in Western Waters, North Sea and the Northeast Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC). The JDPs are established for fisheries/areas that are considered a priority by the European Commission and the Member States concerned. EFCA have responsibility for coordination of the implementation of a specific control and inspection programme through a Joint Deployment Plan (JDP).