Earlier today (03/10/2025) we received a communication from the Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan, TD in response to the list of questions and concerns we submitted via his office on 01 August 2025.
Whilst the minister’s response has not fully addressed our questions and concerns, we welcome it as a continued sign of positive engagement on the issues, and believe it represents a significant step forward in our ongoing endeavour to protect Sprat in Irish inshore waters.
We will take some time to digest and discuss the Minister’s replies, and will provide further comment over the coming days.
Meanwhile, you can read the Minister’s response in full below (let us know what you think in the comments):
Dear Save Our Sprat West Cork,
Thank you for your patience and for your continued advocacy on behalf of this critical species within our marine ecosystem.
As you will be aware, responsibility for the marine environment has now moved from my Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH), to the Department of the Environment, Climate and Energy (DCEE). In light of this, I have liaised closely with Minister Dooley to seek responses to your specific questions. Please find attached the full response from Minister Dooley. While not all issues can be fully answered at this time, I want to share below both the information that is available and the direction of travel on key themes.
1. Potential legal challenge from trawler owners/fishers
The Department held a public consultation before reintroducing the sprat measures precisely to ensure that the approach would be legally robust and capable of withstanding challenge. In addition, because the measures may affect vessels that are owned and operated in Northern Ireland, a UK notification was required. In compliance with Article 496(3) of the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the start date for the new measures has been adjusted in order to allow the required notification period.
2. Interim restrictions on >18m trawlers for the 2025/26 season
As Minister Dooley outlines, the monitoring and control of fishing vessels within Ireland’s Exclusive Fisheries Zone is a matter for the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA). For that reason, the Minister is precluded from direct involvement.
To give legal effect to these restrictions, Minister Dooley signed Policy Directive 1 of 2025 on 30 September. This formally implements the decision announced in July in relation to trawling activity inside the six nautical mile zone and baselines. A new Statutory Instrument – the Sea‑Fisheries (Sprat Fishing) Regulations 2025 – has also been signed to provide for the monitoring of the sprat fishery for vessels over 18m within this zone in the period 11 October 2025 – 30 September 2026. This SI requires the SFPA to notify the Minister when the 2,000‑tonne sprat catch limit has been reached.
I encourage you, as a next step, if relevant, to engage directly with the SFPA. I note that the Authority has existing processes and resources in place, and I am confident the measures introduced for sprat will be effectively monitored and enforced.
3. Robust science to establish a sprat population baseline
Please note the attached reference to the October 2024 survey. In light of the limitations previously raised with me, I will meet with the Marine Institute over the upcoming period to understand this further.
We are in the process of commissioning a study of seabird and marine mammal populations off the south and south‑west coasts—including analyses of their food sources—to build further science‑based evidence.
Our departments have now initiated collaboration with University College Cork researchers including Dr Mark Jessopp proposed to act as principal academic supervisor. An proposed 18‑month post‑doctoral study is being scoped, with key work packages examining apparent seabird and marine mammal declines in the south‑west, linked to food availability such as sprat. This partnership, alongside the Marine Institute’s survey programme, aims to establish a more comprehensive baseline to guide future protection measures.
4. Plans for sustainable management of the sprat fishery for sub‑18m trawlers
At this time, there are no proposed restrictions for vessels under 18m. The consultation on trawling activity inside the six nautical mile zone highlighted that the majority of sprat landings were by larger vessels (>18m), which is why they are the focus of the recently announced measures. Of the total catch of 16,798 in 2024, 6,539 (39%) tonnes were landed by <18m.
In addition, having spoken with industry, it is clear that engine & boat capacity and net mesh sizes will constrain the ability of smaller boats to materially increase sprat catches. I will continue to be guided by both the existing and newly commissioned surveys to define further protection measures.
5. Additional measures
Work is ongoing in Ireland to advance further designation of marine sites under the EU Nature Directives. The NPWS has progressed a significant programme to classify the most suitable marine areas as SPAs for the protection of bird species. Two new candidate SPAs—the North‑West Irish Sea cSPA and Seas off Wexford cSPA—have been publicly notified and are going through statutory processes. Extensions to existing sites, such as The Bull and The Cow Rocks SPA and The Murrough SPA, are also being advanced.
As a result of this work, Ireland has moved in the last two years from 2% of its marine area designated under the Nature Directives to nearly 10% today—a fivefold increase. Further analyses by NPWS are underway to assess potential designations along the South and West Coast, where early evidence strongly supports additional protection. All measures will be kept under review, including giving consideration to the designation of further Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), where supported by scientific evidence.
I hope this update reassures you that the concerns you have raised are being carefully considered, with both immediate measures in place and further evidence being developed to guide additional protections. I will continue to engage directly with the Marine Institute, the Department, and Minister Dooley to ensure that sprat—and the broader marine ecosystem it underpins—is safeguarded into the future.
Kind Regards,
Christopher O’Sullivan, TD
Minister of State – Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity