James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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496. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 361 of 14 November 2017, his Department's protocol for advising the SFPA of reports of illegal fishing boats in Irish waters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50431/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, the monitoring and control of fishing vessels within Ireland’s Exclusive Fisheries Zone are matters for the Irish control authorities. Under the Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006, all operational issues of this nature concerning sea-fisheries control are, as a matter of law, exclusively for the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) and the Naval Service. I am precluded from getting involved in operational matters including in relation to law enforcement.

I should advise the Deputy that, whereas issues of a general nature concerning sea fisheries control are brought to the attention of my Department from time to time, my Department rarely receives information concerning specific allegations of alleged illegal fishing within the Exclusive Fishery Zone. In the event that such specific allegations are brought to the attention of my Department, the arrangement is to refer the matter to the SFPA/Naval Service for attention and any action they consider appropriate as the relevant control authorities.