Over 1,200 fishing vessel inspections this year

More than 1,200 inspections of fishing vessels have been carried out so far this year, including just 13 inspections of large pelagic factory freezer trawlers.

Figures from the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) showed the Naval Service, which carries out all inspections at sea for the SFPA, conducted 1,207 inspections in the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone so far this year, of which 633 were fishing vessels registered outside Ireland.

A spokesperson for the SFPA said there were no incidences of non-compliance in the case of the 13 inspections of the large pelagic factory freezer vessels.