Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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On the 30 September, I signed Policy Directive 1 of 2025 to give legal effect to the decision that Minister Heydon and I announced on 22 July last to place certain restrictions on trawling activity by larger vessels, that is, vessels over 18 meters in length overall (LOA), inside the six nautical mile zone and the baselines:

• From 1 October 2026, trawling activity, that is, the operating of trawl or seine nets, by fishing vessels over 18 metres in length overall inside the six nautical mile zone and the baselines will be prohibited.
• In addition, a catch limit of 2,000 tonnes of sprat will be permitted for vessels over 18 metres in length overall inside the six nautical mile zone and inside the baselines from 11 October 2025 to 30 September 2026 only.

On 30 September, I also signed the Sea-Fisheries (Sprat Fishing) Regulations 2025 (S.I. No. 446 of 2025). These regulations provided for the monitoring of sprat caught by vessels over 18 metres in length overall (LOA) engaging in trawling activity within the six nautical mile zone in the period 11 October 2025 and 30 September 2026 inclusive. There were no objections, appeals, or formal submissions received from industry stakeholders regarding the Sea-Fisheries (Sprat Fishing) Regulations 2025 (S.I No. 446 of 2025) prior to its finalisation and publication.

I can further advise that on 23 October 2025, I signed a further statutory instrument - the Sea-Fisheries (Sprat Fishing Closure) Regulations 2025 (S.I. No. 501 of 2025) - revoking the Sea-Fisheries (Sprat Fishing) Regulations 2025 (S.I. No. 446 of 2025), and placing a prohibition on the fishing of sprat by means of the operation of trawl or seine nets by vessels over 18 metres LOA inside the six nautical mile zone and baselines with immediate effect. This prohibition was put in place further to a report from the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority that the 2,000 tonne catch limit of sprat, permitted for all vessels with a length overall (LOA) over 18 metres operating trawl or seine nets inside the six nautical mile zone and baselines during the period between 11th October 2025 and 30th September 2026, had been taken.