Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 May 2026
117. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide an update on the most recent engagement his Department and its agencies have had with stakeholders on any proposals for potential future management measures for razor clam fisheries in the North Irish Sea; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34699/26]
View answerIn January, the National Inshore Fisheries Forum submitted a proposal to my Department entitled “North Irish Sea Interim Razor Fishery Management Plan”. The proposal, which was developed and brought forward by the North East Regional Inshore Fisheries Forum (RIFF), is currently being examined by my Department and the marine agencies including Bord Iascaigh Mhara, the Marine Institute and the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority. I am advised that some of the measures included in the proposal are already provided for in existing fisheries management legislation.
My Department met with representatives from the marine agencies, met in February to give preliminary consideration to the proposal received.
The proposal was also discussed with industry representatives at a meeting of the National Inshore Fisheries Forum in March, which was attended by my Department and the marine agencies. At that meeting, the North East RIFF representative was informed that, once consideration of the proposal had been completed, a further meeting would be arranged to facilitate further engagement and discussion of the proposal.
My Department, together with representatives from the marine agencies, met again in April to examine and discuss the management measures included in the proposal in greater detail and further meeting is planned in the coming weeks.
These discussions form part of an ongoing process which intends to examine the feasibility of the proposed measures, while also taking into account, scientific, enforcement, and economic considerations.
There are a number of regulations in place to give legal effect to the current management measures for the sustainable fishing of razor clam, including:
• S.I. No. 160 of 2018: establishes a minimum conservation reference size of 125 mm for razor clams fished in the North Irish Sea,
• S.I. No. 588 of 2015: reduces the weekly landing limit for razor clam for vessels in the North Irish Sea to 600 kilograms from January 2016,
• S.I. No. 207 of 2015: limits razor clam fishing in the North Irish Sea to specific days of the week,
• S.I. No. 206 of 2015: regulates the razor clam fishery within internal waters or territorial seas, including weighing of landings, reporting of catch, and GPS monitoring of vessels.
