Two under 18m vessels have been pair trawling in Bantry Bay and in the Special Area of Conservation (SAC) around Garinish Island, as of October and November 2026. While they are most likely fishing for sprat and that’s not illegal for these trawlers, we have three key questions for the Government:

1. Why are industrial vessels like these allowed pair trawl in our SACs?

2. With an  ICES recommended annual limit on sprat fishing of 2,240 tonnes and a quota of 2,000 tonnes already fished by larger vessels, do you really believe the ban goes far enough to save the collapse of this species?

3. Are the SFPA monitoring all catches from such vessels and also from the over 18m trawlers that have been spotted in Cork and Kerry over recent weeks?

Industrial scale inshore trawling up to the shoreline and in our Special Area of Conservation (SAC) threatens the complete collapse of this local Sprat population which, as a key food species of the marine environment, will cause the starvation and loss of huge numbers of sea and bird life. This indiscriminate harvesting of Sprat during its spawning cycle is impacting all local sea and bird life including whales, dolphins, harbour seals (Phoca vitulina, Irelands largest colony), many fish species and the success of the re - introduced White-tailed Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) breeding program on Garnish Island. 

This practise also threatens the local tourist trade and the livelihood of our small fishermen!

We continue to call for a moratorium (pause) on all sprat fishing within the 6 nautical mile zone and baselines to allow the stocks to recover thereby protecting the livelihood of small sustainable fishermen and ensuring food for our marine life.