Conor D McGuinness Questions SFPA Risk Profile for Vessel Inspections

Conor D McGuinness questioned the SFPA's criteria for at-sea vessel inspections and whether a risk profile could lead to disproportionate targeting of Irish-flagged vessels. He said he did not have the figures on hand and asked to see the basis for inspection decisions.

Question on SFPA risk profile

He suggested there may be a risk profile that the SFPA uses to decide which vessels it will carry out inspections of at sea and asked whether that profile drives selection.

Concerns about targeting Irish vessels

He pointed out that if 50% or more of inspected vessels are Irish, while a larger share of vessels fishing in the EEZ are likely not Irish flagged, that pattern could indicate disproportionate targeting of Irish vessels for at-sea inspections.

Request for evidence on overfishing risk

He asked whether the SFPA considers there to be a greater risk of overfishing by Irish vessels and said he would like to see what the risk assessment is based on, seeking the figures and evidence behind inspection choices.

Acknowledgement of information limits

He acknowledged he could not answer the question himself and did not have the information or figures available to explain the SFPA's inspection criteria.