Significant quantity of oysters seized off Lough Foyle

The Loughs Agency has confirmed that a significant quantity of oysters have been seized off Lough Foyle.
The seizure is part of investigations into illegal, pre-season, fishing activities for native oysters in the Lough.
The Loughs Agency say they are also aware that a number of licenced oyster operators got into difficulty during the opening day of the season, on Tuesday past, and have confirmed the decision as to whether or not to go to sea remains the responsibility of the Master of the vessel.
Loughs Agency investigations into illegal, pre-season, fishing activities for native oysters in Lough Foyle, have resulted in the seizure of bags of illegally fished oysters on Monday last, the day before the Lough Foyle Native Oyster Fishery was scheduled to open.
The bags were buoyed offshore prior to the official opening of the fishery at 6am on Tuesday morning.
Loughs Agency Fishery Officers mounted an operation to recover the bags early on Monday morning before weather conditions deteriorated.
Live oysters recovered from the bags were returned to the Lough and investigations are ongoing.
Meanwhile, the agency say they are aware a number of licenced oyster operators got into difficulties during the opening day of the season and confirmed the decision as to whether or not to go to sea remains the responsibility of the Master of the vessel.
They say small craft warnings were in operation from Met Éireann at the time.
In response to the weather conditions and in line with Loughs Agency’s own risk assessments, the decision was taken for no Agency patrol vessels to go to sea that day.