Question 1

How many people are employed in commercial fishing in Ireland?

Accepted Answer

Over 16,000 people are employed directly or indirectly around the coast, working on over 2,000 registered fishing vessels, in over 160 seafood processing businesses and in 278 aquaculture production units, according to the State's sea fisheries development body Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM).

Question 2

Why is fishing referred to as an industry?

Accepted Answer

All activities that are concerned with growing, catching, processing or transporting fish are part of the commercial fishing industry, the development of which is overseen by BIM. Recreational fishing, as in angling at sea or inland, is the responsibility of Inland Fisheries Ireland.

Question 3

How important is the Irish fishing industry?

Accepted Answer

The Irish fishing industry is valued at 1.22 billion euro in gross domestic product (GDP), according to 2019 figures issued by BIM. Only 179 of Ireland's 2,000 vessels are over 18 metres in length. Where does Irish commercially caught fish come from ? Irish fish and shellfish is caught or cultivated within the 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ), but Irish fishing grounds are part of the common EU "blue" pond. Commercial fishing is regulated under the terms of the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), initiated in 1983 and with ten-yearly reviews.

Question 4

What is the value of seafood landings?

Accepted Answer

The total value of seafood landed into Irish ports was 424 million euro in 2019, according to BIM. High value landings identified in 2019 were haddock, hake, monkfish and megrim. Irish vessels also land into foreign ports, while non-Irish vessels land into Irish ports, principally Castletownbere, Co Cork, and Killybegs, Co Donegal.

Question 5

How are commercial fish species caught in the Irish EEZ?

Accepted Answer

There are a number of different methods for catching fish, with technological advances meaning skippers have detailed real time information at their disposal. Fisheries are classified as inshore, midwater, pelagic or deep water. Inshore targets species close to shore and in depths of up to 200 metres, and may include trawling and gillnetting and long-lining. Trawling is regarded as "active", while "passive" or less environmentally harmful fishing methods include use of gill nets, long lines, traps and pots. Pelagic fisheries focus on species which swim close to the surface and up to depths of 200 metres, including migratory mackerel, and tuna, and methods for catching include pair trawling, purse seining, trolling and longlining. Midwater fisheries target species at depths of around 200 metres, using trawling, longlining and jigging. Deepwater fisheries mainly use trawling for species which are found at depths of over 600 metres.

Question 6

How is the Irish fleet divided up?

Accepted Answer

There are several segments for different catching methods in the registered Irish fleet – the largest segment being polyvalent or multi-purpose vessels using several types of gear which may be active and passive. The polyvalent segment ranges from small inshore vessels engaged in netting and potting to medium and larger vessels targeting whitefish, pelagic (herring, mackerel, horse mackerel and blue whiting) species and bivalve molluscs. The refrigerated seawater (RSW) pelagic segment is engaged mainly in fishing for herring, mackerel, horse mackerel and blue whiting only. The beam trawling segment focuses on flatfish such as sole and plaice. The aquaculture segment is exclusively for managing, developing and servicing fish farming areas and can collect spat from wild mussel stocks.

Question 7

What are the top species landed?

Accepted Answer

The top 20 species landed by value in 2019 were mackerel (78 million euro); Dublin Bay prawn (59 million euro); horse mackerel (17 million euro); monkfish (17 million euro); brown crab (16 million euro); hake (11 million euro); blue whiting (10 million euro); megrim (10 million euro); haddock (9 million euro); tuna (7 million euro); scallop (6 million euro); whelk (5 million euro); whiting (4 million euro); sprat (3 million euro); herring (3 million euro); lobster (2 million euro); turbot (2 million euro); cod (2 million euro); boarfish (2 million euro).

Question 8

How diverse are Irish waters?

Accepted Answer

Ireland has approximately 220 million acres of marine territory, rich in marine biodiversity. A marine biodiversity scheme under Ireland's operational programme, which is co-funded by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and the Government, aims to reduce the impact of fisheries and aquaculture on the marine environment, including avoidance and reduction of unwanted catch.

Question 9

How are quotas for fish decided?

Accepted Answer

EU fisheries ministers hold an annual pre-Christmas council in Brussels to decide on total allowable catches and quotas for the following year. This is based on advice from scientific bodies such as the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. In Ireland's case, the State's Marine Institute publishes an annual "stock book" which provides the most up to date stock status and scientific advice on over 60 fish stocks exploited by the Irish fleet. Total allowable catches are supplemented by various technical measures to control effort, such as the size of net mesh for various species.

Question 10

Which are the principal Irish fishing harbours?

Accepted Answer

The west Cork harbour of Castletownbere is Ireland's biggest whitefish port. Killybegs, Co Donegal is the most important port for pelagic (herring, mackerel, blue whiting) landings. Fish are also landed into Dingle, Co Kerry, Rossaveal, Co Galway, Howth, Co Dublin and Dunmore East, Co Waterford, Union Hall, Co Cork, Greencastle, Co Donegal, and Clogherhead, Co Louth. The busiest Northern Irish ports are Portavogie, Ardglass and Kilkeel, Co Down.

Question 11

Do other EU vessels land into Irish harbours?

Accepted Answer

Yes, EU quotas are allocated to other fleets within the Irish EEZ, and Ireland has long been a transhipment point for fish caught by the Spanish whitefish fleet in particular. Dingle, Co Kerry has seen an increase in foreign landings, as has Castletownbere. The west Cork port recorded foreign landings of 36 million euro or 48 per cent in 2019, and has long been nicknamed the "peseta" port, due to the presence of Spanish-owned transhipment plant, Eiranova, on Dinish island.

Question 12

Where is Irish seafood sold?

Accepted Answer

Most fish and shellfish caught or cultivated in Irish waters is for the export market, and this was hit hard from the early stages of this year's Covid-19 pandemic. The EU, Asia and Britain are the main export markets, while the middle Eastern market is also developing and the African market has seen a fall in value and volume, according to figures for 2019 issued by BIM.

Question 13

Do Irish people eat much fish?

Accepted Answer

Fish was once a penitential food, eaten for religious reasons every Friday. BIM has worked hard over several decades to develop its appeal. Ireland is not like Spain – our land is too good to transform us into a nation of fish eaters, but the obvious health benefits are seeing a growth in demand. Seafood retail sales rose by one per cent in 2019 to 300 million euro. Salmon and cod remain the most popular species, while BIM reports an increase in sales of haddock, trout and the pangasius or freshwater catfish which is cultivated primarily in Vietnam and Cambodia and imported by supermarkets here.

Question 14

Who regulates the industry?

Accepted Answer

The EU's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), initiated in 1983, pooled marine resources – with Ireland having some of the richest grounds and one of the largest sea areas at the time, but only receiving four per cent of allocated catch by a quota system. A system known as the "Hague Preferences" did recognise the need to safeguard the particular needs of regions where local populations are especially dependent on fisheries and related activities. The State's Sea Fisheries Protection Authority, based in Clonakilty, Co Cork, works with the Naval Service on administering the EU CFP. The Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine and Department of Transport regulate licensing and training requirements, while the Marine Survey Office is responsible for the implementation of all national and international legislation in relation to safety of shipping and the prevention of pollution.

Question 15

Are Irish fishing crews required to undertake training?

Accepted Answer

Yes, a range of certificates of competency are required for skippers and crew. Training is the remit of BIM, which runs two national fisheries colleges at Greencastle, Co Donegal and Castletownbere, Co Cork. There have been calls for the colleges to be incorporated into the third-level structure of education, with qualifications recognised as such.

Question 16

How safe is the Irish fishing industry?

Accepted Answer

Safety is always an issue, in spite of technological improvements, as fishing is a hazardous occupation and climate change is having its impact on the severity of storms at sea. Fishing skippers and crews are required to hold a number of certificates of competency, including safety and navigation, and wearing of personal flotation devices is a legal requirement. Accidents come under the remit of the Marine Casualty Investigation Board, and the Health and Safety Authority. The MCIB does not find fault or blame, but will make recommendations to the Minister for Transport to avoid a recurrence of incidents.

Question 17

Is climate breakdown affecting Irish fish stocks?

Accepted Answer

Fish are part of a marine ecosystem and an integral part of the marine food web. Changing climate is having a negative impact on the health of the oceans, and there have been more frequent reports of warmer water species being caught further and further north in Irish waters. What are the main challenges for the Irish fishing industry? Brexit, Covid 19, EU policies and safety – Britain is a key market for Irish seafood, and 38 per cent of the Irish catch is taken from the waters around its coast. Ireland's top two species – mackerel and prawns - are 60 per cent and 40 per cent, respectively, dependent on British waters. Also, there are serious fears within the Irish industry about the impact of EU vessels, should they be expelled from British waters, opting to focus even more efforts on Ireland's rich marine resource. Covid-19 has forced closure of international seafood markets, with high value fish sold to restaurants taking a large hit. A temporary tie-up support scheme for whitefish vessels introduced for the summer of 2020 was condemned by industry organisations as "designed to fail".


Race	Sched	Event	North Station	South Station	Winner	Time	Distance	Next	Comment
1	17:00	M Club 1 4+	UCD BC (A)	DUBC B	UCD BC (A)	3:50	1L	198
2	17:04	M Club 1 4+	Commercial RC A	UCD BC C	UCD BC C	3:41	3L	228
3	17:08	M Club 1 4+	DUBC A	Commercial RC B	Commercial RC B	3:50	2L	229
4	17:11	M Jnr 18 1X	Commercial RC, Bolger, T	New Ross BC, Ferguson, J	Commercial RC, Bolger, T	4:17	5L	30
5	17:14	M Jnr 18 1X	Blackrock Col. RC, Crowe, L	Neptune RC, Byrne, S	Blackrock Col. RC, Crowe, L	4:09	0.5L	30
6	17:17	M Jnr 18 1X	Three Castles RC, Grace, J	New Ross BC, Sutton, L	New Ross BC, Sutton, L	4:19	E	70
7	17:20	M Jnr 18 1X	Blackrock Col. RC, Fennelly, J	Graiguenamanagh RC, Moylan, J	Graiguenamanagh RC, Moylan, J	4:22	3L	31
8	17:23	M Jnr 18 1X	Three Castles RC, McKnight, T	New Ross BC, Harrington, L	Three Castles RC, McKnight, T		ROW OVER	31
9	17:26	M Jnr 18 1X	Three Castles RC, Higgins, C	Commercial RC, Campion, M	Commercial RC, Campion, M	4:34	EASY	71
10	17:29	M Jnr 18 1X	Three Castles RC, O'Briain, D	Commercial RC, Kelly, C				72	race moved to Sat 08:55
11	17:35	W Inter 1X	Neptune RC, Feerick, C	Garda BC Ryan, J	Neptune RC, Feerick, C	4:33	3L	32	race moved to Fri 18:50
12	17:38	M Club 2 1X	Kings Hosp. BC, Henry, N	Kings Hosp. BC, Gilchrist, K	Kings Hosp. BC, Henry, N		DNF	117
13	17:41	M Jnr 16 1X	Commercial RC, Crooks, L	Neptune RC, Stapelton, J	Neptune RC, Stapelton, J	4:45	EASY	212
14	17:44	M Jnr 16 1X	Neptune RC, Orlic, T	New Ross BC, Gibbon, R	Neptune RC, Orlic, T	4:33	4L	36
15	17:47	M Jnr 16 1X	Commercial RC, Humm, C	Graiguenamanagh RC, Hennessy, B	Graiguenamanagh RC, Hennessy, B		R/O	36	HUMM SCRTCH FLORIN
16	17:50	W Jnr 18 1X	Commercial RC, McKeon, M	Graiguenamanagh RC, Connolly, K	Commercial RC, McKeon, M	4:40	3L	77
17	17:53	W Jnr 18 1X	New Ross BC, Pendergast, F	Offaly RC, Dowling, E	Offaly RC, Dowling, E	4:37	CANVAS	115
18	17:57	M Club 1 8	Commercial RC A	Neptune RC	Neptune RC	3:22	1.5L	41
19	18:01	M Club 1 8	UCD BC A	DUBC	DUBC	3:29	3FT	41
20	18:05	M Club 1 8	Commercial RC B	UCD BC B	UCD BC B	3:23	2L	139
21	18:09	W Club 1 4+	UCD BC B	Commercial RC	UCD BC B		R/O	193
22	18:13	W Club 1 4+	UCD BC C	UCD BC A	UCD BC A	4:29	1L	194
23	18:17	W Club 1 4+	New Ross BC	UCD BC D	New Ross BC		R/O	194
24	18:21	M Club 2 4X+	Neptune RC B	DUBC	Neptune RC B	4:14	4L	195	race moved to 17:30
25	18:25	M Club 2 4X+	Neptune RC A	Commercial RC B	Neptune RC A	4:01	EASY	230
26	18:29	M Novice 8	UCD BC A	DUBC	DUBC	3:43	4L	133
27	18:33	M Novice 8	UCD BC B	Commercial RC	UCD BC B		R/O	133
28	18:37	M Jnr 16 4X+	Blackrock Col. RC A	Commercial RC	Commercial RC	4:03	1L	85
29	18:41	M Jnr 16 4X+	Carlow RC	New Ross BC	Carlow RC	4:09	2L	121
30	18:44	M Jnr 18 1X	Commercial RC, Bolger, T	Blackrock Col. RC, Crowe, L	Blackrock Col. RC, Crowe, L	4:14	3L	70
31	18:47	M Jnr 18 1X	Graiguenamanagh RC, Moylan, J	Three Castles RC, McKnight, T	Graiguenamanagh RC, Moylan, J	4:58	3L	97
32	18:50	W Inter 1X	Neptune RC, Feerick, C	Offaly, Nolan, C				F
33	18:53	W Jnr 16 1X	Commercial RC, Walsh, E	Neptune RC, Stapelton, H	Neptune RC, Stapelton, H		R/O	186	WALSH SCRATCH
34	18:56	W Jnr 16 1X	Commercial RC, Spencer, E	Neptune RC, Rowland, O	Commercial RC, Spencer, E		R/O	224
35	18:59	W Jnr 16 1X	Neptune RC, Carpenter, S	Commercial RC, Healy, G	Commercial RC, Healy, G	5:00	4L	225
36	19:02	M Jnr 16 1X	Neptune RC, Orlic, T	Graiguenamanagh RC, Hennessy, B	Neptune RC, Orlic, T	3:54	2L	248
37	19:06	M Jnr 15 2X	Carlow RC	Blackrock Col. RC	Carlow RC	4:15	1.5L	119
38	19:10	W Club 1 8	Neptune RC	Commercial RC	Commercial RC	3:47	2L	132
39	19:14	W Club 1 8	UCD BC A	UCD BC B	UCD BC B		DISQ	132
40	19:18	W Club 2 4X+	Neptune RC B	Kings Hosp. BC	Kings Hosp. BC	4:32	EASY	223
41	19:22	M Club 1 8	Neptune RC	DUBC	Neptune RC	3:28	CANVAS	139

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