The Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) has announced that Ireland, United Kingdom, France and Spain will share patrol vessels and personnel, in a continuing effort to monitor trans-boundary fisheries.
This further development of international co-operation on fisheries control for 2011 involves one Member State providing an inspection vessel with inspectors from the various other Member States onboard. This allows the inspection vessel to operate across each Member State’s European Economic Zone boundaries.
This year Ireland will provide the Naval Vessel LE Aoife which will act as a platform for inspectors from Ireland, United Kingdom, France and Spain to engage in fisheries control. This patrol will take place in May and will operate in the European Economic Zone’s of Ireland, United Kingdom, France and Spain.
Historically the control of trans-boundary fishing was a problem as fishing vessels could cross from one jurisdiction to another to avoid inspection. The problem was initially very prevalent in the North Sea and the first proposals for trans-boundary co-operation within the EU were developed there.
The European Commission has formalised the protocols through the introduction of legislation. Ireland, United Kingdom, France and Spain have worked very closely on this protocol. Ireland has shared boundaries for fisheries control with these other Member States.
