The Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority has issued a further statement over the ongoing developments in Killybegs.
A number of vessels have turned away from the harbour in recent days over the landing rules which insists on fish being weighed without water.
The Authority says that comprehensive engagement has been undertaken with industry over recent months to ensure they are informed as to the requirements and specifications of the interim Control Plan approved by the European Commission.
The plan seeks to ensure control systems are adequate to address significant concerns regarding inaccurate weighing of catches which resulted in the EU Commission’s revoking of Ireland’s weighing-after-transport Control Plan in April 2021.
The SFPA confirms that on Tuesday of this week in accordance with the requirements of the interim Control Plan, it sought to undertake an inspection which would include supervising the weighing before transport of the catch of the fishing vessel MFV Ingrid Majala at Killybegs harbour.
The master of the vessel and its operator were offered two options for conducting this weighing before transport – the use of an industry-owned pierside device to separate water from fish and weigh on the weighbridge, or to weigh on the weighbridge without using the industry-owned pierside device.
This industry-owned pierside device, which has been used on several occasions in 2021, is capable of separating water from fish thereby ensuring an accurate weight of fish is obtained, whilst also preserving the quality of the fish once taken from the vessel. **
The master of the vessel and the operator responsible for weighing refused to agree to pierside weighing before transport of their catch and subsequently the vessel chose to leave port.
The SFPA understands the vessel then chose to sail to port in Derry where the fish must be weighed upon landing using a weighbridge, similar to one of the options on offer at Killybegs.
