Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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1767. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures that will be in place to ensure compliance of vessels of more than 18m in length with the 2,000-tonne sprat quota limit from October 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46076/25]

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The preparation of the relevant legal instruments for the introduction of measures relating to the management of sprat for vessels more than 18 metres in length overall is currently being progressed by my Department.

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 and, as such, I am precluded from involvement in such matters.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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1768. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide the stock assessment data that was used by his Department to inform the incoming 2,000-tonne sprat quota limit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46077/25]

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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1773. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to outline the civil society and interest groups he met in relation to the sprat quota limit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46082/25]

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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1774. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he considers that sprat fishery will be sustainable under the new rules in light of the fact that, in 2024, 7,500-tonnes of sprat were fished by vessels under 18-metres, while ICES have a recommended sprat quota limit of 2,250-tonnes for all vessels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46083/25]

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1768, 1773 and 1774 together.

On July 22nd, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and I announced our intention to place certain restrictions on trawling activity (that is the operating of trawl or seine nets) by large vessels, that is vessels over 18m in length overall, inside the six nautical mile zone and the baselines, including the introduction of a catch limit on sprat for vessels over 18m in length overall from October onwards.

In early 2024, my Department held a public consultation which has informed this decision. As part of the public consultation, scientific and economic reports on the matter were provided by the scientific and economic specialists in the Marine Institute (MI) and Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), respectively. These reports and the submissions made to the consultation are publicly available on the Department’s website at the following link: (Public Consultation on Trawling Activity Inside the Six Nautical Mile Zone and the Baselines).Data on the quantities of sprat landed in the years 2018 to 2025 (up to mid-July) and broken down by vessel size (over and under 18m in length overall) was also provided by the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority to inform decision-making on the matter. 

The International Council of the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) considers sprat to be a data limited stock which means that more detailed data is required in order to form a full understanding of the state of the stock. 

The Marine Institute has been actively involved in work on sprat through research, surveys and fisheries catch sampling. From this work they have data and information on the biology, population dynamics and stock structure of sprat around Ireland. 

Studies have not to date shown evidence of separate stocks in the Celtic seas, and ICES considers sprat in ICES divisions 6 & 7 to be a single stock. Sprat around the Irish coast are known to perform seasonal migrations between winter feeding and summer spawning grounds. 

The last acoustic survey for sprat in the Celtic Sea and the south Irish Sea was conducted by the Marine Institute in October 2024 as part of its annual survey series, ongoing since the early 2000s. The survey results are available on its website. This survey showed no evidence of sprat moving northwards and no collapse in the abundance of the species over the scale of the surveyed area.

At this time, there is no proposal from the European Commission for a Total Allowable Catch, or TAC, and quota management arrangement for fodder fish such as sprat in the waters around Ireland. Ireland will, of course, have regard for a possible TAC and quota regime or other appropriate conservation measures going forward if recommended in the scientific advice to support the sustainable management of sprat.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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1769. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine how he will ensure that there will be no overfishing of sprat by vessels under 18 metres; the monitoring mechanisms that will be put in place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46078/25]

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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1772. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will introduce a sprat quota limit for vessels under 18 metres; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46081/25]

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1769 and 1772 together.

On July 22nd, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and I announced our intention to place certain restrictions on trawling activity (that is the operating of trawl or seine nets) by large vessels, that is vessels over 18 metres in length overall, inside the six nautical mile zone and the baselines. From October 2026, trawling activity by fishing vessels over 18 metres in length overall inside the six nautical mile zone and the baselines will be prohibited. In addition, a limited total allowable catch of 2,000 tonnes of sprat will apply to vessels over 18 metres length overall inside the six nautical mile zone and inside baselines from October until the end of September next year.

I have no plans at this time to introduce a sprat quota limit for vessels under 18 metres. This Government has committed to maintaining support for our inshore sector in the Programme for Government and this decision helps to deliver on that promise. I am mindful of the opportunity that these measures will provide for our important small-scale fishers as the announced restrictions apply to larger vessels only, and I am confident that these measures will help to re-establish links between local fish resources, local fleets and local economies. 

At this time, there is no proposal from the European Commission for a Total Allowable Catch and quota management arrangement for fodder fish such as sprat in the waters around Ireland. Ireland will, of course, have regard for a possible TAC and quota regime or other appropriate conservation measures going forward if recommended in the scientific advice to support the sustainable management of sprat.

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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1770. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the proportion of sprat landed that is currently used as fish meal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46079/25]

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for her question. The Sea Fisheries Protection Authority has provided the below table, displaying data from 2018 up to September 1st, 2025. 

Non-human consumption includes the following categories: Animal Feed, Bait, Industrial Purposes, Waste

Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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1771. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the sprat fishing season begins; the reason October was chosen for the sprat quota introduction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46080/25]

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for her question.

The sprat fishing season generally starts in mid to late Autumn. The introduction of a catch limit on sprat for vessels over 18m in length overall from October onwards allows time to carry out the important legal and procedural steps that are required before any management measures can be applied. These include the preparation of the relevant legal instruments, and, in this case, as the introduction of these new measures may affect vessels that are owned and operated in Northern Ireland, allow for the required notice period following the EU Commission's notification of the measures to the United Kingdom authorities, in accordance with Article 496(3) of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.