Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department does not hold the data being sought by the Deputy in respect of lost or recovered fishing pots. However, I would like to reassure the Deputy that my Department assists in the collaborative effort to help in keeping our oceans clean and healthy and launched the Clean Oceans Initiative in January 2019. The Clean Oceans Initiative is managed by Bord Iascaigh Mhara to help protect marine life from the harmful effects of plastic and other pollution. A number of activities form part of the initiative including ‘Fishing for Litter’ which encourages fishers to collect any litter or debris they come across while working at sea. I can inform the Deputy that Ireland’s fishing sector has collected more than 1,000 tonnes of marine litter to date as part of its ‘Fishing for Litter’ activities.

While I launched the Fishing Gear Retirement programme under the Clean Oceans Initiative in June 2022, the Single Use Plastics Directive has also created new obligations in respect of fishing gear that contains plastic. Ireland is required to monitor and report on fishing gear placed on the market and waste fishing gear collected to the European Commission. The Environmental Protection Agency is the competent authority in Ireland for the monitoring and reporting of this data, with the first return being due in 2024.

In addition, the Single Use Plastics Directive requires the setting up of an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme for fisheries and aquaculture gear containing plastics by the end of 2024. It is the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications which has responsibility for the implementation of this Directive in Ireland. I can advise the Deputy that Bord Iascaigh Mhara are assisting the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications in preparing the fishing sector for this requirement through raising awareness of the sector’s responsibilities along with conducting trial Fishing Gear Retirement schemes.