Galway Bay fm newsroom - The Seanad has heard of the major impact that commercial sprat fishing is having on Galway Bay.
Addressing the Minister for the Agriculture and the Marine, Senator Pauline O' Reilly claimed that communities are being left 'devastated' by intensive commercial trawling.
She referred to reports of up to 200 tonnes of sprat coming through a single fishing pier in one day.
While this, she admitted, is entirely legal at present, it is a potentially disasterous situation for the whole marine eco-system.
The Government last year attempted to ban larger vessels from fishing within six miles of the Irish coast - however this ban was quashed in the High Court.
Green Party Senator O' Reilly asked Minister Charlie McConalogue what steps are being taken to deal with the current unsustainable situation....
Speaking in response, Minister McConalogue confirmed he has appealed the ruling of the High Court against the ban on larger fishing vessels operating within six miles of the coast.
He also said that he is committed to sustainable fishing and the protection of inshore waters for smaller vessels - and will be closely monitoring the situation...
To hear more, tune into Galway Bay fm news....
