Fisheries - Ocean Focus

Howth Fishery Centre. Photo Gillian Mills

KFO contends herring fishery management is bias against dedicated pelagic vessels

Brian Moore

Claims of discrimination in favour of southern refrigerated saltwater (RSW) pelagic boats by the Minister for the Marine, Simon Coveney TD, have been rubbished by his department.

Speaking to Inshore Ireland, a spokesperson outlined the government’s policy as applied to the management of herring fishing by Irish pelagic vessels.

“In 2011, the minister asked the fishing industry and other interested parties to make proposals on future management arrangements for all Irish herring fisheries, the Celtic Sea stock, the stocks off the northwest coast and the Atlanto-Scandian stock. The objective was to deliver a policy that would ensure an economically and biologically sustainable fishery.

Donal Maguire, Aquaculture Development Manager with BIM, speaking at the public meeting and debate on the proposed Galway Bay Salmon Farm held at the Nuns Island Theatre, Galway. Photo Joe O'Shaughnessy, courtesy of The Connacht Tribune

Study finds sea lice not a significant factor in decline of wild salmon

Fisheries

A nine-year investigation by the Marine Institute into the possible causes of the steep decline in the survival rate of Atlantic salmon at sea concludes that sea lice infestation plays a relatively minor role - accounting for only 1% of overall marine mortality rate in the stocks studied, or ten fish in a thousand.

Inland Fisheries Ireland, another State agency, but charged with responsibility for the protection, management and conservation of inland fisheries and sea angling resources however says that this 1% “maybe the crucial tipping point”.

Donal Maguire, Aquaculture Development Manager with BIM, speaking at the public meeting and debate on the proposed Galway Bay Salmon Farm held at the Nuns Island Theatre, Galway. Photo Joe O'Shaughnessy, courtesy of The Connacht Tribune

Dr David Jackson who manages the Marine Institute’s Aquaculture Section and is in charge of the National Sea lice Monitoring and Control Programme confirmed to Inshore Ireland that the study, which involved over 350,000 migrating salmon from twenty-eight releases at eight locations on Ireland’s south and west coasts between 2001 and 2009, “provides clear evidence that while sea lice-induced mortality on outwardly migrating smolts can be significant, it is a minor and irregular component of marine mortality in the stocks studied and is unlikely to be a significant factor influencing conservation status of salmon stocks”.

Enhancing discard survival rate of nephrops

Fisheries

Researchers at NUI Galway’s Ryan Institute are part of a new €2.4m EU-funded project to develop and enhance the sustainability of the European prawn fishery.

Focussing on developing hatchery and ranching technologies, this research will also look at enhancing the survival of discards. Discarding is a major problem for this fishery in particular.

Nephrops norvegicus, also known as ‘Dublin Bay prawn’, ‘langoustine’ or ‘scampi’ is the species of focus in the NEPHROPS project.

The programme is being led by NUI Galway and the Orkney Fisheries Association, and will bring together experts from the fishing industry, technologists and academia across Europe. Dr Colm Lordan of the Marine Institute is also involved in the project.

Small is beautiful, but fluffy round the edges…

Fisheries

Brian O’Riordan, ICSF

Nearly everyone agrees that when it comes to fisheries small is beautiful. The world-renowned fisheries scientist Dr Daniel Pauly has even stated that "based on the cold facts... our society is, in many cases, better served by small scale fisheries.”

But what makes small beautiful is not just size, but what size implies. Small size is an indicator of sustainability, in as much as small in fishery terms implies using gears low of environmental impact; vessels with a relatively low carbon foot print with activities rooted in coastal communities and undertaken by small family based enterprises that provide jobs and income in areas with few economic or employment alternatives – and where women play a key role, if unseen and unrewarded economically.

EU fisheries ministers quash proposed privitisation of fish quotas

Fisheries

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney has welcomed the Danish Presidency proposal allowing each Member State to implement its own management arrangement for fish quotas.

EU fisheries ministers recently gathered in Luxembourg to reach a political agreement on the Commission’s proposal for a system of mandatory transferable fishing rights (concessions) which form a central piece in the proposed reform of the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy.

Fisheries Council agrees all-species landing, starting with pelagics in January 2014

Fisheries

An agreement by the Council of Fisheries Ministers to a landing obligation of all fishing vessels for all quota species beginning with pelagic fisheries from January 1, 2014, has been described as a “flawed approach” by the Federation of Irish Fishermen (FIF) as a method to address the complexissue of fish discards.

A fine haul of herring alongside mfv Vigilant. The June Council of Fisheries Ministers agreed a landing obligation of all vessels for all quota species, beginning with pelagics in January 2014. Photo John Cunningham

“This approach is impractical and unworkable,” remarked their chief executive who added there was agreement throughout the European-wide fishing industry that discarding needed to be reduced “to the lowest level possible”.

Former fishing industry representative recalls the complexities of the sector

Fisheries

Locán Ó Cinnéide’s career path has never vered far from the the heart of Ireland’s seafishing industry: whether as a commercial fisherman; a fishing industry development executive; or independent business man.

By now this Kerryman’s face and voice are recognised in every port in Ireland – as one of the fishing industry’s most senior representatives. He is highly respected at home and abroad.

Is ‘mis-management’ and ‘lost opportunity’ rife within Ireland’s Fishery Harbour Centres?

Fisheries

Inshore Ireland sent the following questions to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine on foot of issues arising in a Dáil Submission of January 2012 by John Shine and Sean Doran of ‘Fishing for Jobs:

(Full text: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002313756109)

Howth Fishery Centre. Photo Gillian Mills

Marine department update on status of inshore fisheries management

Fisheries

Inshore fisheries management: a tale of lost opportunity (II Oct/Nov 2010) focused on the status of inshore fisheries in Ireland which comprises most of the registered vessels in the Irish fleet.

In 2005, a Shellfish Management Framework was introduced, designed to provide an integrated co-management structure to deliver responsible and effective management. Six years on and no regulatory system has been put in place. Many stocks remain fully exploited and catch rates have declined to a level that is adversely affecting the economic viability of the fleet.

The majority of Roundstone's inshore fleet targets lobster and shrimp. Photo Gillian Mills

Against this backdrop Inshore Ireland invited the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine to address these concerns. Now six months later Inshore Ireland has returned to DAFM to establish if any changes have occurred in the intervening months: