Inland Fisheries Ireland seize 1,000 illegally-harvested wild oysters in Kerry
- Oysters, mainly undersized, returned to sea by IFI
Inland Fisheries Ireland(IFI) has seized 1,000 illegally-harvested oysters in Co Kerry.
A large group of people was observed hand-picking oysters at low tide in Kenmare Bay – a Special Area of Conservation – by IFI officers.
IFI fisheries staff subsequently recovered 612 native oysters from two vehicles.
A follow-up search detected two more bags of oysters, bringing the total number recovered to over 1,000.
Oysters recovered from the scene
Commenting on the seizure Sean Long IFI’s South-Western Director said: "IFI is pleased our protection team prevented such a large quantity of oysters being taken from Kenmare Bay.
"This would have resulted in a significant loss to the local environment."
Bagged oysters recovered from scene
Many of the oysters were under the minimum (76mm) size for licenced harvesting.
Two vehicles were seized by IFI, and officers were able to return the oyster stock to the coast.
A prosecution file is being prepared against individuals allegedly involved in the incident.
Example of an undersized oyster within a standard measuring ring
The harvesting or hand-picking of oysters without a licence is illegal under Section 277 of the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act 1959.
Inland Fisheries Ireland continues to urge the public to report instances of illegal fishing to its confidential 24/7 number, 0818 34 74 24.
