Background

The ‘Fishing for Litter’ project in Ireland is run by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Bord Iascaigh Mhara)

Harry McLoughlin, Harbour Master in Howth spoke of how he first became involved in the scheme.

“On a practical level, I saw it [Fishing for Litter] as a way to reduce costs for the harbour but most importantly, it’s made everyone from harbour staff to fishermen more conscious about having a good working environment. One of the first questions I now get asked when boats come in is ‘Where are the [Fishing for Litter] bags?’

Going forward

Bord Iascaigh Mhara will continue to build on this initiative. The scheme underpins EU legislation supporting the protection and sustainable use of the marine environment (Marine Strategy Framework Directive).