Sea-Fishery Protection Officers

About the Role

The Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority is seeking to appoint

Sea-Fishery Protection Officers, based in the ports of Castletownbere, and Dunmore East and create a panel for future roles.

A Sea-Fishery Protection Officer undertakes a dynamic and essential role in conserving marine resources and ensuring seafood safety. Their responsibilities span a wide range of activities, from conducting thorough inspections aboard fishing vessels and within seafood processing establishments to engaging with various seafood business premises. These officers are vital in the collection and analysis of evidence, which may include fish samples, shellfish, and other fishery products. They are also tasked with gathering formal statements, verifying crucial data like VMS (Vessel Monitoring Systems), sales notes, and logbook entries, and preparing documentation for legal proceedings against violators.

SFPO Key Duties and Responsibilities

Conducting direct inspections of fishing vessels, processing establishments, seafood business premises and other places of fisheries and marine activity to verify compliance and to detect non-compliance with Sea-Fisheries and Seafood safety legislation.

• Taking appropriate follow-up action following these inspection activities such as writing reports, preparation of case files, inputting data into databases of inspection activity, compilation of written statements or attending court to act as a witness for the prosecution.

• Collecting, verifying, and inputting fisheries statistics in a timely and accurate manner.

• Attending meetings or meeting with individuals to provide technical input on matters related to fisheries conservation, food safety and fisheries statistics or to advise groups or individuals on these matters or matters related to the policy of the Authority.

• Collecting samples of shellfish, fishery products and fish to sampling specification at shellfish production sites, fish processing establishments, auction halls and fishing vessels and ensuring the delivery of these samples in a suitable condition to conduct the analysis intended.

Essential Requirements:

Candidates, on the closing date for this competition, must hold a minimum qualification of a National Diploma Level 7 in a discipline relevant to the work of the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority, for example qualifications providing competency in marine, fisheries, food or environmental sciences or qualifications related to data management/analytics including IT or Statistics or qualifications related to law, enforcement and associated disciplines.

In addition to the minimum qualification entry requirement candidates must also have:

• Excellent Planning and Organisation ability
• Excellent communication and administration skills
• Fluent spoken and written English is absolutely essential
• Strong IT capability
• Full driving licence