Sea-Fisheries Protection Officer

About SFPA

The Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) was established under the provisions of the Sea-Fisheries and Maritime Jurisdiction Act 2006 and is Ireland's competent authority for Seafood Safety and Sea-Fisheries Protection. The SFPA is committed to the effective and fair regulation of the sea-fishing and seafood sectors, supporting a sustainable and profitable commercial fishing sector while protecting and conserving fisheries resources for long-term exploitation.

About the Role

The SFPA is seeking Sea-Fishery Protection Officers for front-line roles dedicated to sea-fisheries conservation and seafood safety. This position involves direct inspections, data verification, and enforcement at sea, in ports, and at land-based establishments.

Locations: Howth, Dunmore East, and Castletownbere. Salary: €41,900–€75,700 per annum (Standard Scale SFPO), plus allowance for atypical roster attendance. Hours: Regular evening, weekend, and shift work (including nights in some ports) is required.

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

Requirements

Essential

• Level 7 National Diploma in a relevant discipline (e.g., Marine, Fisheries, Food/Environmental Science, Data Analytics, IT, Statistics, or Law Enforcement).
• Excellent communication, planning, and IT capability.
• Fluent spoken and written English.
• Full driving licence.
• Must declare any potential conflicts of interest at the application stage.

Desirable

• Experience in a regulatory environment.
• Knowledge of the sea-fisheries industry or food safety regulations.
• Familiarity with health and customs certification.

How to Apply

Conscia will be managing all aspects of the recruitment process on behalf of the SFPA. Applications must be made by attaching a completed application form via the Conscia website. Please apply via: LinkedIn

Closing date: Friday 19 June 2026 at 5pm. Only applications fully submitted online will be accepted.