Minister Dooley gives legal effect to restrictions on trawling by larger vessels inside the six nautical mile zone as announced with Minister Heydon in July

On 30 September, Minister of State with special responsibility for Fisheries, Timmy Dooley, signed Policy Directive 1 of 2025. This gives legal effect to the measures in the announcement made by Minister Dooley and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, on 22 July last, regarding certain restrictions on trawling activity by larger vessels inside the six nautical mile zone and the baselines.

Minister Dooley said: “I am delighted to finally sign this Policy Directive which gives the decision of 22 July last a solid legal footing. This Policy Directive marks the culmination of years of work in reviewing access to our inshore waters. This has been a matter of significant public interest, and I would like to sincerely thank all stakeholders to the public consultation for their immense engagement with this process.”

From 1 October 2026, trawling activity, that is the operating of trawl or seine nets, by fishing vessels over 18 metres in length overall inside the six nautical mile zone and the baselines will be prohibited.

The Ministers’ announcement in July also stated that a catch limit of 2,000 tonnes of sprat will be permitted for vessels over 18 metres length overall inside the six nautical mile zone and inside baselines from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026 only. As the introduction of these new measures may affect vessels that are owned and operated in Northern Ireland, the start date for the application of this catch limit has been amended to 11 October to allow a sufficient notification period for the United Kingdom in accordance with Article 496(3) of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

A new Statutory Instrument has also been signed by Minister Dooley to provide for the monitoring of the sprat fishery for sea-fishing boats that are over 18 metres in length overall engaging in trawling activity within the six nautical mile zone and the baselines in the period 11 October 2025 to 30 September 2026. This Statutory Instrument provides that the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority will notify the Minister when 2,000 tonnes of sprat has been taken by these vessels from this zone in this period.

Minister Dooley continued: “I remain satisfied that this decision will help to re-establish links between local fish resources, local fleets and local economies. An inshore fleet with increased access to waters closer to the shore could mean a greater distribution of landings of all available fish stocks across our coastal regions. This could have positive knock-on effects for local businesses, including those in the hospitality and tourist sectors.”

Minister Heydon added: “Along with Minister Dooley, I am confident that restricting access to our six nautical mile zone to smaller vessels was the right decision and helps to deliver on the promise made by this Government to support our crucial inshore fishing sector, which is the lifeblood of many coastal, and often rural communities all around the country.”

ENDS

Notes for Editor

A copy of Minister Dooley and Minister Heydon’s announcement dated 22 July is available at the following link: https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-agriculture-food-and-the-marine/press-releases/ministers-heydon-and-dooley-update-on-trawling-activity-inside-the-six-nautical-mile-zone/. This link also includes a definition of the six nautical mile zone and the baselines.

A copy of Policy Directive 1 of 2025, the Sea-Fisheries (Sprat Fishing) Regulations 2025, and all documents associated with the public consultation on the matter are available at the following link: https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-agriculture-food-and-the-marine/consultations/public-consultation-on-trawling-activity-inside-the-six-nautical-mile-zone-and-the-baselines/

Article 496(3) of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement states that “Each Party shall notify the other Party of new measures … that are likely to affect the vessels of the other Party before those measures are applied, allowing sufficient time for the other Party to provide comments or seek clarification.”. Recommendation No 1/2023 of the Specialised Committee on Fisheries sets out at paragraph 1 that this notification period should not be “less than 45 calendar days before the measure comes into force”. Notification of any relevant measures is done by the Member State to the UK via the EU Commission.