The control and enforcement of fisheries in the Republic of Ireland

This case study assesses Ireland’s compliance with EU laws for detecting, prosecuting and sanctioning illegal fishing practices by its vessels and in its waters. It is based on a combination of desk-based research and interviews with key stakeholders.

Our key findings and recommendations include:

• that Ireland should incorporate into its legal order all the requirements of the Control Regulation, and more specifically the ones relating to the establishment of a penalty point system for masters of fishing vessels and for the establishment of a national register of infringements;
• that the number of prosecutions is low and sanctions are not set at deterrent levels and that Irish competent authorities should remedy the situation as soon as possible and increase the level of the sanctions;
• that transparency should be enhanced, and consolidated data on the Irish enforcement system published every year.

This report is part of a series of case studies on the control and enforcement of fisheries in Europe, with other case studies including in England, the Republic of Ireland and Poland. A summary report brings together findings from all four countries to make broader recommendations.

• Read the series