Irish trawler owners asked to install cameras for EU fishing regulations project 

Irish trawler owners asked to install cameras for EU fishing regulations project 

Ii Shower Rose During Catch Unloads Trawler Larry Quay, Of A At Fishing Horgan's Cummins A Picture: Hail Sharon Cork City, Heavy

Irish trawler owners are being asked to voluntarily install remote onboard monitoring cameras that will one day be used to record potential breaches of EU law.

The request has been made by the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA), which wants to see how remote CCTV systems work on trawlers as part a Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) pilot project the fishing industry watchdog is launching.

Once completed, data from the pilot project may be used to design a remote monitoring fisheries system that will be introduced across the EU fishing fleet in the coming years to ensure trawlers comply with EU fisheries regulations.

However, the scheme has been compared by a leading fishing industry representative to asking “turkeys to vote in favour of Christmas.” Irish South and West Fish Producer Organisation CEO Patrick Murphy also said: 

This is another example of how an already highly-compliant Irish fishing industry is being micromanaged to death by regulatory authorities.

The Irish Examiner has learned the SFPA has told potentially interested parties it would not be in its interests to prosecute participating vessels for regulatory breaches captured on CCTV during the pilot project.

This is, it stated in an April 25 email, to ensure the scheme “runs to its conclusion” over the course of a year.

Boat owners were also assured the SFPA “does not profit in seeking to prosecute participant vessels”.

The scheme has been compared by Irish South and West Fish Producer Organisation CEO Patrick Murphy, to asking 'turkeys to vote in favour of Christmas.' Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins 
The scheme has been compared by Irish South and West Fish Producer Organisation CEO Patrick Murphy, to asking 'turkeys to vote in favour of Christmas.' Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins 

The email states that instead there would be a "stepped approach" to regulatory enforcement which would begin with an owner caught breaking the law being re-trained.

But, the SFPA also said that “it may be difficult to progress any issue beyond the initial warning phase”. Mr Murphy said: 

That the SFPA is deploying a relaxed enforcement policy with the pilot project is astonishing. It is not exactly immunity from prosecution, but it’s not far off.

He said this is in complete contrast to some of the procedural issues members have faced sanction for.

“In contrast, some of our members have been hit with extremely strict enforcement measures over basic procedural issues.

“One member recently failed to enter details of the amount of fish caught before a midnight deadline.

“This had been because the onboard fish count had finished in the early hours of the following morning.

“He was boarded by the Irish Naval Service later that day and subsequently sanctioned.

“Fortunately, he successfully appealed against the SFPA sanction.”

Of the pilot scheme, the SFPA told the Irish Examiner: “A stepped compliance methodology was devised for this project to allow learnings be maximised for the vessel owner and the SFPA.

“This allows the identification of issues to increase the chances of a successful conclusion for the SFPA and any participant vessel. The project is designed around the vessel owner being a willing participant."

 “The SFPA is not in a position to offer immunity for any suspected fisheries-related offences.

“The focus of the project is to assess the effectiveness and applicability of (sensors and CCTV) technology to provide data on the movement of fish from capture through to the end of the grading and packing process."

More in this section

Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

Echo Group Limited Examiner ©