Ireland to ban industrial sprat fishing in inshore waters from October 2026

Fishing boats trawling for sprats at dusk on the River Suir, between Waterford and Wexford. File photo

The industrial fishing of sprat, a keystone marine species, is to be banned in inshore waters from October next year.

The move was agreed at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday after marine minister Martin Heydon and minister of state for fisheries Timmy Dooley brought a memo to government on proposed restrictions on trawling activity by large vessels inside the six nautical mile zone and the baselines.