‘Severe weakness’ in fishery controls

Ireland may face penalties in light of damning EU audit report. The European Commission is seeking a meeting with Irish officials this month over a damning audit of the State’s monitoring and fishery controls of the €1bn mackerel industry. In a letter to Cecil Beamish of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the European Commission’s fisheries directorate, DG Mare, says that “follow up” by Ireland to address the audit findings is “imperative” as a “matter of urgency”.

Ireland may face penalties over the final EU audit report, which identifies “severe and significant weaknesses” in the Irish control system for pelagic (mackerel, herring, blue whiting) catches.