S.I. No. 518/2015 - Sea-Fisheries (Multi-Rigged Fishing Gear) Regulations 2015.

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of 24th November, 2015.

I, SIMON COVENEY, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by sections 3 and 15 of the Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006 (No. 8 of 2006) and the Sea Fisheries, Foreshore and Dumping at Sea (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2007 ( S.I. No. 707 of 2007 ) (as adapted by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 2011 ( S.I. No. 455 of 2011 )), hereby make the following regulations:

1. (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Sea-Fisheries (Multi-Rigged Fishing Gear) Regulations 2015.

(2) These Regulations come into force on 1 January 2016.

2. In these Regulations “cod end” means the narrow end of a tapered trawl net.

3. These Regulations shall apply to the master of an Irish sea-fishing boat within the exclusive fishing limits of the State.

4. The master of an Irish sea-fishing boat shall not simultaneously tow fishing gear where the number of nets is greater than 4 or the total number of cod ends utilised is greater than 4.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

16 November 2015.

SIMON COVENEY,

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation)

This instrument restricts the use of multi-rigged fishing gear to 4 (quad) rigs at the maximum, in order to conserve fish stocks.