Results 1-6 of 6 for sfpa speaker:Pádraig Mac Lochlainn segment:6840682

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Annual Report of Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority: Discussion (27 Jun 2017)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: .... The fishing community is aggrieved because its members believe they have been criminalised under legislation. There have been stand-offs at various ports between fishing communities and SFPA officials. Perhaps the problem is with the legislators, given that the authority is simply enforcing the legislation. I refer to super trawlers. Those of us who live in coastal communities...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Annual Report of Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority: Discussion (27 Jun 2017)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: ...focusing on this vessel only because it is the second largest vessel in the world and it gives rise to great concern when it is off our coast. It was said earlier that, under European regulations, SFPA officers cannot be on board a vessel for longer than four hours and that the authority has the power to call a vessel to port, but to do that it must demonstrate reasonable cause. Do the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Annual Report of Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority: Discussion (27 Jun 2017)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Thank you for your patience, Chairman. I appreciate it. I will be very brief. Could I propose that the SFPA would make a submission to our committee outlining ways or ideas it has for strengthening its ability, including the need for additional resources? We can then put that submission to the Minister. Is that a reasonable request?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Annual Report of Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority: Discussion (27 Jun 2017)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: I am asking the SFPA as practitioners.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Annual Report of Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority: Discussion (27 Jun 2017)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: Could I propose then that the SFPA would do as suggested? Could I also propose that the committee would write to the Minister asking him from a policy perspective to address the issues that we have raised here today? Most if not all of us have raised concerns about super trawlers.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Annual Report of Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority: Discussion (27 Jun 2017)

Pádraig Mac Lochlainn: In terms of the specific issues here, could I ask that the committee will write to the Minister asking for assurances? In fairness to the SFPA, the witnesses have said they are limited to a policy perspective.