Stay informed with our regular updates and articles, delving into the vital efforts to protect Bantry Bay from being overfished.
Discover the challenges, celebrate our successes, and learn how you can contribute to a healthier marine environment.
Key species must receive strict protection under the EU Directive e.g. no disturbance and no destruction of breeding grounds. But from 10th October 2026 we saw pair trawling around the seals in Glengarriff Harbour, almost daily! Glengarriff Harbour and Woodland Special Area of Conservation (SAC) in County Cork protects key species under the EU Habitats Directive.
A team from Save Our Sprat Bantry Bay met with young artist Lucia Revuelta González who was the 2025 Junk Couture World Culture Couture Winner on Thursday 17th September. We talked about our initiative and shared the documentary “Ocean" by Sir David Attenborough with the students at Elphin Community College in Co. Roscommon. We connected over Lucia's ‘Miss Mares’ design – a design that highlights how we need to protect our oceans and stop overfishing.
We were proud & pleased that Blue Hare Films got nominated for a 2026 Working with Nature Award for their film making for the Save Our Sprat Campaign. The SOS team were at the event to support Mark McClean from Blue Hare. It was great to meet so many amazing people doing so much work to protect nature and support nature recovery in their communities all across the Island. Thank you to the Powerscourt Estate for recognising all this valuable work 👏 It would give you hope!
Between 2018 and 2024, sprat landings have increased by 375%. These little silvery fish are harvested during their spawning season when they come into our bays to breed over autumn and winter. The inshore ban was ruled out in 2023, and 2024 saw total landings of sprat hit over 17,000 tonnes. As they are considered a forage fish with little economic value, there are no legal quotas. While no laws are being broken, our system certainly is.
Our Sprat Bantry Bay were delighted to be part of #fairseas Ocean Conference in Cork where Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) were high on the agenda. Our Taoiseach acknowledged the importance of management of these areas as we aspire to have 30% by 2030 and Global Ocean Policy Director, IUCN, Minna Epps stated that designation without management is an aspiration and not protection. (3rd June 2026)
Thank you to Jennifer Whitmore, TD who invited our Chairman, Dolf D’hondt to join a panel at the recent Social Democrats Annual Conference. Dolf is seen here with Jennifer (left) and Padraic Fogarty (Ecologist) & Cllr Joan Hopkins (Fingal East) (Right). Coming soon, we will share some short clips from the discussion.
Thank you Meabh Harrington! Dolf D'hondt, Chairperson, Save Our Sprat Bantry Bay presents Meabh Harrington with a gift for her support & commitment to saving the sprat in our bay. We asked Meabh about her motivation for signing:
Just over 1 year ago we started our campaign to Save Our Sprat in Bantry Bay and in all our coastal waters. We thank you for all the support. We will continue our work in 2026 and look forward to having you all with us. We started small but our voice is growing all along our coast.
We are so proud of our Group member Dolf, who received a Commendation in the Outstanding Individual Award Category from The Environmental Forum. This Award recognises Dolf's unwavering commitment to safeguarding the local marine environment in West Cork. From campaigns such as Save Our Sprat and Help the Kelp to promoting the importance of local sea grass beds and creating awareness in the community of the diversity beneath the waves, Dolf goes the extra mile to protect our seas. Congratulations to Dolf for all his hard work. (12 Dec 2025)
Today in Bantry Bay and in the Special Area of Conservation (SAC) around Garinish Island, two under 18m vessels have been pair trawling. While they are most likely fishing for sprat and that’s not illegal for these trawlers, we have three key questions for the Government:
At a recent reading in Hamburg, renowned nature writer Robert Macfarlane (“The Wild Places”) was approached by Save Our Sprat supporter Sandra Boettcher, who attended in her SOS attire. Macfarlane, who was introducing his new book “Is A River Alive?”, took interest in the SOS campaign and encouraged the Bantry Bay activists: “Keep on fighting!”
As the week draws to an end, we want to wish our new President all the best for her time in office and we thank her for her support. Catherine Connolly TD, as she was then, joined us back in May at the West Lodge Hotel in Bantry for our first Public Meeting.
Our recent article highlights the critical decline of the sprat population in Bantry Bay. These small, silvery fish are the cornerstone of our bay's ecosystem, providing crucial food for dolphins, seals, and larger fish. Learn about the impact of unsustainable fishing practices and what we can do to reverse this alarming trend. This is just one of the educational texts we are planning to write to inform the community about the marine life around our bay and the threats to marine animals.
Explore the detrimental effects of current fishing methods on Bantry Bay's delicate marine balance. Our latest blog post sheds light on how destructive fishing industries threaten not only specific species but the entire underwater habitat. We aim to inform you about the immediate dangers and the long-term consequences for our beloved bay. Look out for more articles about the destructive fishing industry and its impact.
Our bay is home to a diverse array of marine life, including pods of dolphins and colonies of seals, all of whom depend on a healthy ecosystem. This post discusses why these creatures are important indicators of the bay's health and how their well-being is intrinsically linked to the sprat population. Read about ongoing efforts to ensure their future and how you can join us in raising awareness to restore ecological balance.
