Ireland’s Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) has released its annual report highlighting how it protects and enables the import and export of seafood.

According to the Protecting Seafood Trade Report, 2023 was a challenging year for Ireland’s seafood sector. Third country exports, ie. those to countries outside of the EU, declined by 36% to 49,782 tonnes compared to 2022.

fishing vessel

Source: SFPA

The SFPA is continuing its fight against IUU fishing to help safeguard Irish seafood exports

Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, in particular, poses a threat to Ireland’s seafood export industry, valued at €550 million last year.

“IUU fishing jeopardises the development of sustainable fisheries on which many coastal communities globally rely for their livelihoods,” said Paschal Hayes, executive chair of the SFPA.

“As regulators, we are committed to utilising all the controls available to us to help detect and deter IUU fishing and IUU derived fishery products within our jurisdiction.”

Protecting seafood trade by ensuring highly functioning levels of regulatory assurance is a critical element of the SFPA’s mission, continued Hayes.

“Regulation, including health certification, also underpins confidence in the safety of Irish seafood products, providing vital reassurance to retailers, hospitality businesses and consumers at home and abroad,” he said.

“Retaining Ireland’s growing reputation for producing superior seafood is essential and the integrity of the supply chain is vital in this regard.”

In 2023, the SFPA continued to develop its work in seafood trade regulation, performing official controls of seafood safety and sea-fisheries conservation.

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