Noel Dempsey T.D., Minister for Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Ireland, formally announced last week the establishment of the new independent statutory Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (S-FPA) as of the 1st of January 2007.
The new Sea Fisheries Protection Authority is wholly independent from the Department of Communications, Marine Natural Resources and is legally charged with the States sea fisheries law enforcement functions. The Authority will enforce the EU Common Fisheries Policy and sea-fisheries law generally and food safety law relating to fish and fishery products.
A fully representative (14 person) statutory Consultative Committee will be appointed by the Minister to ensure the sector can formally input to the work of the new Authority. The Minister has invited nominations for the Committee from relevant interested parties.
A system for dealing with individual complaints and concerns is also to be set up, through the appointment of individual Complaints Officers. The new Authority will be fully accountable to the Joint Oireachtas Committees on Communications, Marine Natural Resources.
The Headquarters of the Sea Fishery Protection Authority will be permanently located in Clonakilty in conjunction with the new National Marine Headquarters, which will be completed in 2008. In the intervening period the Authority will, like the decentralising Department staff, be based in interim accommodation at the West Cork Technology Park in Clonakilty.
