The Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) has rejected claims that it has been “spinning” information on landings into Irish ports to give the impression that Irish fishing vessels are performing better than in reality.
As The Skipper magazine reports this month, an SFPA press statement on statistics for fish landings for 2023 was prefaced with a summary or sub-headline stating “44,396 Vessel landings in Ireland – 95% by Irish Vessels”.
The actual data published by the SFPA shows a general downward trend into landings into Ireland by both Irish and non-Irish vessels, and an increase in landings outside Ireland.
This has been attributed by the industry in part to loss of quota and to over-regulation, which is said to be driving both Irish and other vessels to land elsewhere.
The specific accusation of “spin” in relation to the performance of the Irish fleet was elaborated on by Irish South and West Fish Producers’ Organisation (IS&WFPO) chief executive Patrick Murphy.
Irish South and West Fish Producers’ Organisation (IS&WFPO) chief executive Patrick Murphy
SFPA figures on landings into Irish ports by foreign vessels last year record a total of 2040 landings and a total volume of 88070 tonnes.
Irish vessel landings into Irish ports for last year show 42,356 landings with a total volume of 156,919 tonnes.
This translates into an average of 43 tonnes per landing by non-Irish vessels, and an average of 3.7 tonnes per landing by Irish boats.
“In other words, non-Irish vessels are landing 14 times more fish than Irish vessels,” Murphy says.
This trend is also reflected in 2022 figures, with an average of 52 tonnes per landing into Irish ports by non-Irish boats, and an average of 3.25 tonnes per landing by Irish boats.
For 2021, the average is almost 55 tonnes per landing by non-Irish boats, and 3.7 tonnes per average landing by Irish boats.
“How can the SFPA present a picture in its headline to its press release where it is misrepresenting the truth of its own figures,” Murphy told The Skipper.
“We have the richest waters in Europe and the Marine Institute’s stockbook shows most of this fish is inside the Irish exclusive economic zone, and yet we have the smallest share by quota,” Murphy said.
“The SFPA is trying to present our own share as disproportionate to the reality, and giving the impression that we are making multiples of what we are making,”he said.
Read the full report in The Skipper here
