EPA - Ireland's Environment, An Integrated Assessment - 2020

Ireland’s Environment – An Integrated Assessment 2020 Marine Fisheries Quota management and monitoring are key to protection measures covering commercial fisheries. The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) governs the fishing sector in Ireland. A number of historical and recent measures have been developed under this policy to ensure that fishing, and aquaculture, are environmentally, economically and socially sustainable. Since 2014 CFP reform has led to the phased introduction of landing obligations for species subject to catch limits. This aims to eliminate the practice of discarding unwanted catches. It is expected that these obligations, together with changes in fishing gear and fishing methods, could lead to an improvement in fish stocks and a more sustainable fishing industry. The recent EU Biodiversity Strategy also outlines the need for marine resources to be harvested sustainably and the need for zero-tolerance for illegal processes (EU, 2020). Bord Iscaigh Mhara (BIM) has produced a fisheries management chart that details the landing obligations and quotas for 2019. 25 Fishing vessels over 18 metres have been excluded from trawling within 6 nautical miles of the coast since January 2020. 26 This measure, regulated by Inland Fisheries Ireland, aims to protect coastal marine areas and, specifically, juvenile fish, which often spend their nursery years in shallower waters around the coast. Similarly, since 2003 the level of fishing effort has been regulated in an area off the south-east coast of Ireland called the Irish Conservation Box, which follows the 200 metre bathymetric contour. It was defined on scientific grounds by the Marine Institute because of its importance for spawning and as a nursery area for certain commercially exploited fish. The Marine Institute also produces the Stock Book (Marine Institute, 2018), an annual review of commercial fish stocks in Irish waters. This informs fisheries quota management for the year ahead. Additional measures that aim to protect and manage marine ecosystems include the restriction of bottom trawling below a depth of 800 metres on deep sea reef habitats designated under the Habitats Directive (EU Regulation 2016/2336). 27 The 800 metre limit builds on existing industry-led voluntary measures that are applied in EU waters and considers the specificities of deep-sea fisheries in these waters. Under the CFP, the UK and Ireland have historically fished in each other’s waters for Atlantic mackerel and Dublin Bay prawns. As the UK withdraws from the EU, 25 https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/seafood/ marineagenciesprogrammesdivision/aquaculturepolicy/ http://www.bim.ie/media/bim/content/downloads/BIM-fisheries- management-chart-2019.pdf 26 This Policy Directive was deemed void and of no legal effect following an application of a judicial review in 2020. 27 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/ PDF/?uri=CELEX:32016R2336&rid=4 any exclusion of fishing effort from UK waters may displace the EU fishing effort from UK waters to Irish national waters, resulting in an increased burden on Irish ecosystems. The future of fishing rights is likely to depend on decisions made as part of Brexit negotiations between the EU and the UK (O’Higgins and O’Hagan, 2019). Aquaculture Monitoring and regulation are important for minimising the impact of the aquaculture sector on the environment. A national strategic plan for aquaculture 28 was developed in 2015; this aims to sustainably grow the aquaculture sector while ensuring environmental protection of marine ecosystems. However, this growth will have to be considered in relation to its impact on environmental status under the WFD and MSFD, as well as on the conservation objectives and status of sites protected under the Habitats Directive (SACs) and the Birds Directive (Special Protection Areas – SPAs). Aquaculture licensing is administered through a substantial appraisal system by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and includes the requirement for an appropriate assessment (Bresnihan, 2016). To minimise any potential impact of aquaculture activities on the environment, the DAFM has developed a range of Marine Finfish Protocols to which each licensed producer must adhere. These protocols cover areas such as benthic monitoring, water quality monitoring, sea lice monitoring, fallowing and structural design. 29 Benthic and sea lice surveys are carried out at each active marine finfish culture site annually. The latest survey indicates that sea lice levels on salmon smolts (age 1-3 years) are below treatment trigger levels, suggesting that control methods and practices can have a positive impact on the control of sea lice in Irish salmon farms (O’Donohoe et al. , 2019). In relation to disease prevention, all aquaculture production businesses are regulated for fish health purposes through EU Directive on animal health requirements for aquaculture animals and products thereof, and on the prevention and control of certain diseases in aquatic animals (2006/88/EC) 30 and Statutory Instrument No. 261 of 2008. The Marine Institute monitors aquaculture sites using risk-based surveillance programmes incorporating planned periodic site inspections and sampling. In addition, outbreaks of disease are investigated by the Marine Institute, as required. 31 28 https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/seafood/ marineagenciesprogrammesdivision/aquaculturepolicy/ nationalstrategicplanforsustainableaquaculturedevelopment/ 29 https://www.agriculture.gov.ie/seafood/ aquacultureforeshoremanagement/marinefinfishprotocols 30 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ ALL/?uri=CELEX%3A32006L0088 31 https://www.fishhealth.ie 210