Written evidence submitted by Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (FSH0010)
Submission to the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee Inquiry on, the impact of the UK’s decision to leave the EU on the fishing industry in Northern Ireland.
Prepared by the Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs, Marine and Fisheries Division
May 2018
Contents
| Subject | Pg |
1 | Introduction | 3 |
2 | Marine Fisheries | 4 |
3 | Aquaculture | 11 |
4 | Fish Health | 12 |
5 | Inland Commercial Fisheries | 13 |
6 | Processing and Trade | 15 |
7 | Loughs Agency | 16 |
| Annex A – Overview of the NI Sea Fishing Sector | 17 |
| Annex B – NI zone | 25 |
| Annex C – International Council for the Exploration of the Seas fish stock assessment areas | 26 |
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 This paper discusses current fisheries management in NI within the framework of the Common fisheries Policy (CFP), and how this differs under devolved management compared to the rest of the UK. An overview of the structure and key facts relating to NI sea fish catching and processing sectors is provided at Annex A.
1.2 Most marine fisheries governance and operational frameworks stem from the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). As many fish stocks migrate and are limited in number, CFP policies on access to waters and quota control are key to sustainable fisheries management. As CFP rules govern the catching of valuable fish stocks there are significant, through largely indirect, implications for trade. CFP rules also regulate aquaculture production, the initial sale and labelling of fish and imports of fish and fish products from third countries.
1.3 These key issues – access to waters, quota controls and market and technical measures – will need to be negotiated within a new policy and operational framework for the UK/NI fisheries industry on exit from the EU and the CFP.
1.4 After leaving the EU the UK will still have international obligations as it is a signatory to a number of international legal agreements concerning marine management and access, for example the UN Law of the Sea Convention (which requires a Nation State to conserve and manage resources, cooperate to conserve and manage specific stocks, and the trade-offs between conservation and fishing).
2. MARINE FISHERIES
2.1 Management within the CFP
2.1.1 Currently NI marine fisheries operate within the framework of the CFP which sets the rules that the NI fishing industry must comply with. In particular the rules governing, fish quotas, technical conservation measures, systems of monitoring control and enforcement, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, and marketing and labelling standards for fish products.
2.1.2 Whilst fisheries management is devolved within the UK, NI must comply with the rules of the CFP, and is liable for any failures to implement it effectively in NI if infraction proceedings are instigated against the UK by the EU. NI is responsible for all sea fishing within the Northern Ireland zone (see map Annex B), a defined area of the sea adjacent to NI.
2.1.3 The CFP permits NI to introduce its own measures provided that these only apply to UK vessels, are compatible with CFP objectives and are at least as stringent as EU rules that already apply. Examples of where this facility has been used, is in relation to NI inshore fisheries to conserve non-quota species such as lobsters and scallops, to introduce fisheries management measures for marine protected areas, and to introduce cod conservation measures in the Irish Sea for NI licensed fishing vessels. In 2016 five Marine Conservation Zones were designated in NI, Strangford Lough, Rathlin Island, Waterfoot, Outer Belfast Lough, and Carlingford Lough, and local fisheries management measures are being developed for all these sites.
2.2 UK Fisheries Concordat
2.2.1 The UK Fisheries Concordat sets out the framework within which fishing opportunities and fishing vessel licensing may be managed by the individual UK Fisheries Administrations (FAs) and defines the freedom that each FA has with regard to setting fishing opportunities and licensing policy.
2.2.2 The current Concordat mainly sets out the parameters for the allocation of quotas to each FA, and the rules for accepting vessels to be licensed by a particular FA.
2.3 Fishing Opportunities
2.3.1 Fishing opportunities comprise Total Allowable Catches (TACs) or quotas and, fishing effort in terms of days spent at sea.
2.3.2 For each quota species the UK receives a TAC which is agreed at the annual December Fisheries Council. The UK TACs are distributed to each FA in proportion to the number of Fixed Quota Allocation (FQA) units held on the fishing licences that are administered by each FA (see Annex A paragraph 11 for NI share of main Irish Sea stocks).
2.3.3 Each FA is then free to distribute its quota share to its fleet as it wishes subject to legitimate expectations and proper consultation, should the FA decide to change the way that it carries out this allocation.
2.3.4 The UK produces two sets of Quota Management Rules that are subject to consultation with the fishing industry. There are overarching UK rules that all the FAs subscribe to and regional rules that apply in each FA only.
2.3.5 The NI rules include how DAERA apportions the quotas to Producer Organisations (POs) and the non-sector (vessels that are not members of POs), and rules governing management of over 10 metre vessels and 10 metre and under (10mu) non-sector vessels.
2.3.6 In NI the NI quota share is distributed to Producer Organisations (POs) and the “non-sector” in proportion to the number of FQAs held by licences within the membership of the POs and non-sector.
2.3.7 Other approaches are permitted such as “top-slicing” quota before allocation to quota groups in order to address particular regional quota shortages. The only example where this is done in NI is to provide a small quota to support a seasonal artisanal herring fishery off south east Down.
2.3.8 The only effort regime that involves the NI fishing fleet is the EU Western Waters regime and in particular effort limits for fishing scallops in Area 7 (see map Annex C) that includes Area 7a, the Irish Sea.
2.3.9 In recent years the UK FAs have set quarterly limits for days at sea for scallop vessels to ensure that the UK stays within the annual limit allowed under the EU Regulation.
2.3.10 To date the effort limits that have been set have not limited the activity of the NI scallop fleet which fishes mostly in the Irish Sea and around the north coast of Ireland.
2.4 Fishing Vessel Licensing
2.4.1 Under the Fisheries Concordat each FA is responsible for licensing fishing vessels that predominantly fish out of ports in their region or have some other significant link to that region. There is no restriction on the movement of licences between each FA.
2.4.2 Licences are the main means for regulating the uptake of fishing quotas. If a PO exhausts its quota allocation for a particular stock all the members of that PO will have their licences varied to prohibit them from targeting that stock.
2.4.3 Each administration has freedom to introduce its own licence conditions that apply to its own vessels. In NI we have mainly used licence conditions for management of inshore fisheries where we wished to restrict fishing in localised areas. For example, all NI general fishing licences contain a condition that prohibits fishing in Strangford Lough except for holders of a separate Strangford Lough Pot Fishing Licence.
2.5 Technical Conservation Measures
2.5.1 Technical conservation measures include such things as net mesh sizes, gear selectivity devices and closed areas. They are used mainly to minimise the impact of trawling or dredging on spawning and juvenile fish, non-target fish species, and sea-bed habitats.
2.5.2 Most technical conservation measures are currently set out in EU Regulation 850/98, the “Tech Con” Regulation. These are minimum requirements and Member States can impose more stringent measures on their own fleets if they wish.
2.5.3 Since 2012 the NI prawn fleet have used highly selective devices in their nets when fishing in the Irish Sea. The main device currently used is a 300mm square mesh panel. The main aim of these devices was to allow cod to escape, but they also have some effect on the escapement of haddock and whiting. The measures have been enforced through NI’s general licence conditions.
2.5.4 The EU Tech Con Regulation is due to be replaced in 2018 and will therefore be adopted into EU law on EU exit.
2.5.5 In inshore fisheries technical conservation measures have been widely used by DAERA. Again, they generally apply only to UK vessels fishing
in the NI zone. Examples include minimum landings sizes for shellfish such as crabs, lobsters and scallops, closed areas, and gear specifications for scallop dredges. For inshore fisheries technical measures are generally enforced through secondary legislation made under the Fisheries Act 1966.
2.6 Inshore Fisheries
2.6.1 Inshore fisheries are in general exploited by smaller vessels operating within 6 nautical miles of the coastline. In NI they are mainly pot fisheries targeting shellfish species such as crabs, lobsters, prawns, mussels, whelks and scallops. Only a handful of inshore vessels target quota species (prawns and a seasonal autumn herring fishery).
2.6.2 In NI the inshore fisheries are managed directly by DAERA. Direct management by DAERA reflects the scale and geographical extent of the inshore fleet in NI. In other regions with much larger inshore fleets, extensive coastline and numerous harbours, inshore management has been delegated to inshore management bodies responsible for discreet parts of the coast. The DAERA inshore fleet is approximately 5% the size of the English inshore fleet.
2.6.3 Management of inshore fisheries is guided by an inshore fisheries strategy:
https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/dard/final-inshore-fisheries-strategy.pdf
2.6.4 DAERA consults with an Inshore Fisheries Partnership Group on the implementation of the inshore strategy and other inshore issues. The partnership group includes, inshore fishermen, scientists, environmental groups and DAERA officials.
2.7 European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF)
2.7.1 The EMFF (2014-2020) provides support for the fishing industry to implement EU priorities and also supports scientific data collection and projects aimed at improving monitoring control and enforcement of fisheries.
2.7.2 The UK priorities are set out in the UK EMFF Operational Plan and DAERA has its own EMFF Investment Plan that details the NI priorities for EMFF funding.
https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/publications/dard-european-maritime-and-fisheries-fund-emff-draft-investment- proposals
2.7.3 As at 31 March 2018 the EMFF NI allocation was €23.3m (estimated
£20.6m at €1.13 per £). This can be broken down between the three main funding streams as follows:
The rate of national co-funding for “core” projects is 25%.
2.7.4 At UK level the EMFF is divided up as follows (figures rounded up):
• Total UK EMFF allocation €243m
• Core (industry support) €146m
• Enforcement/control: €45m
• Data collection €52m
2.8 Labour issues
2.8.1 The NI fish catching sector currently employs a significant number of EEA and non-EEA crew.
2.8.2 Currently vessels operating within the 12nm limit of the coast cannot use non-EEA crew. This is a particular problem for the NI fleet as much of its fishing grounds are inside this limit. This means that its use of non EEA labour is more restricted and it can therefore be more difficult to obtain crew.
2.8.3 It is estimated that over 50% of all crew members in Northern Ireland are non-UK nationals and some processors employ over 90% EEA workers.
2.9 Control and Enforcement
2.9.1 In NI monitoring control and enforcement of fishing activity is carried out by the Sea Fisheries Inspectorate (SFI), which is a fully integrated Branch within the Marine and Fisheries Division of DAERA. Fishery Officers within the SFI are British Sea Fishery Officers and they have similar powers to fishery officers in Marine Scotland, Wales and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO).
2.9.2 The SFI has its headquarters in Downpatrick along with the Sea Fisheries Policy and Aquaculture Branches and has three Port Offices based in the three main east Down fishing ports of Ardglass, Kilkeel and Portavogie, with mobile fishery officers covering the coast north of Belfast to Lough Foyle.
2.9.3 The integration of the SFI within the Marine and Fisheries Division brings benefits in terms of sharing of knowledge and policy and technical expertise, and is deemed appropriate given the size of the NI fishing fleet.
2.9.4 Sea going ability is provided through an inshore Fisheries Protection Vessel, based in Bangor Co. Down, and a large Rigid Inflatable Boat which can be transported anywhere round the coast when it is required. The SFI does not presently avail of the services of the Royal Navy, nor does it currently use aerial surveillance. The patrol vessel also has some marine science capability to allow it to be used for research and survey purposes.
2.9.5 Currently the monitoring control and enforcement regime for the NI fishing fleet is detailed in the EU fisheries “Control Regulation” EC 1224/2009. Each FA is responsible for implementing the Control Regulation in its own fisheries zone and ensuring compliance.
2.9.6 Oversight of control and enforcement activities within the UK is provided by the UK Fisheries Enforcement and Control Group that comprises policy and enforcement leads from each FA. The role of this group is mainly to ensure consistency and timeliness in the implementation of EU control and enforcement regulations across the UK.
2.10 Data Collection
2.10.1 Data collection is made up of data collected by the UK fisheries enforcement agencies and data collected as a result of scientific surveys. The EU Control Regulation requires fishing vessels to submit information on fish catches and landings via fishing logbooks, landing declarations, sales notes and transport documents. Vessels over 12 metres are also required to have a satellite vessel monitoring system so that their position can be monitored every two hours. All the UK FAs collect similar data and this is shared with relevant scientific bodies for stock assessment purposes.
2.10.2 In NI the relevant scientific body is the Fisheries and Aquatic Ecosystems Branch of the Agri-food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI).
AFBI receive funding from DAERA and the EU to conduct research and surveys on quota species (E.g. Nephrops, cod, haddock, whiting etc.) mainly in the Irish Sea. The EU funding is through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) and is worth €5.9m over the funding period 2014-2020.
2.10.3 AFBI mainly conducts its fish stock research in the Irish Sea using the RV Corystes which is an ocean going vessel specifically designed to carry out marine research. It also engages with the fishing industry in a Fishery Science Partnership to gather additional data using commercial fishing vessels with scientists on board. For inshore fish stock work the DAERA fisheries patrol vessel is also capable of hosting scientific research.
2.10.4 The information gathered by AFBI feeds into the programme of stock assessments and advice carried out on behalf of the EU by the International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES).
2.11 Fishery Harbours
2.11.1 In NI the three main fishery harbours of Ardglass, Kilkeel and Portavogie have, since 1973, been operated by a DAERA Non Departmental Public Body, The NI Fishery Harbour Authority. The operating costs of the Authority are funded mainly by a levy on fish landings, supported by fees for service provision such as berthing, ice and slipways.
2.11.2 The NIFHA is dependent on EMFF funding for capital works to maintain and improve the harbour estates. In the current EMFF programme
€3.3m was earmarked for NIFHA port development from 2014 -2020.
3. AQUACULTURE
3.1 The Aquaculture industry in NI is spread across the province, although marine aquaculture is largely within the 5 sea loughs (Carlingford, Strangford, Belfast, Larne and Foyle). There are 78 licensed aquaculture sites in NI, 46 producing shellfish and 32 sites producing finfish (30 freshwater and 2 marine). The main shellfish species are mussels and pacific oysters. Many of the bottom mussel growers are Dutch and French nationals and there has been increased investment in the oyster industry by French nationals in recent years.
3.2 There is limited potential for growth in finfish production in NI. There has been a moratorium on the issue of aquaculture licences for the culture of seed mussel in sea loughs for more than 10 years.
3.3 Production in sea loughs is dominated by bottom mussel culture which depends on being able to source juvenile “seed mussel” from other areas along the coast. The moratorium was put in place by Ministers because of concerns about the availability of seed resources and the carrying capacity, i.e. the ability of the loughs to support mussel growth.
3.4 Seed mussel exploitation is currently licensed and managed jointly with the Republic of Ireland (RoI) under the auspices of the All Island Bottom Grown Mussel Consultative Forum, which brings together Government/Agencies (North and South), as well as industry representatives to consider issues such as the harvesting and marketing of mussel seed.
4. FISH HEALTH
4.1 The policy and legislative framework for fish health standards is currently set by the EU and there are a number of cross-border issues. NI works closely with the RoI Department for Agriculture Fisheries and the Marine (DAFM) and the Marine Institute, Galway, on a range of fish health matters.
4.2 There is a coordinated approach to prevent fish disease outbreaks across the island of Ireland. It is recognised that it is important to work together in this area as introduction of disease to one jurisdiction carries a high risk for both. Joint contingency plans are being developed in the event of a major fish disease threat.
5. INLAND COMMERCIAL FISHERIES
5.1 Lough Neagh
5.1.1 Fishing activity on Lough Neagh is dominated by the commercial fishery which targets eels, trout and coarse fish stocks such as pollan, perch, roach and bream. The fishery owner, the Lough Neagh Fisherman’s Co-operative Society manages the fishery and issues permits to allow fishermen to catch fish in the lough. The Lough Neagh eel fishery is worth approx. £3.2m per year to the NI rural economy. It is the largest remaining commercial wild eel fishery in Europe, producing 16% of total EU landings and supplying 3.6% of the entire EU market in 2007.
5.1.2 The Lough Neagh eel also has Protected Geographical Indication status recognising and protecting this species as a unique regional food product. This year L. Neagh Pollan has been awarded the Protected Designation of Origin status.
5.1.3 The Lough Neagh Fishermen’s Cooperative Society and fishery owner (LNFCS) faces constraints in developing export trade in eels outside the EU eg Asia, as this is currently banned under CITES. CITES – the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild Fauna and Flora – is an international agreement which includes the European Eel.
5.1.4 Whilst in the EU, NI is free to trade with other EU members without the need for CITES permits. However post Brexit, any trade in eel into the EU will require a formal export permit. . Work is ongoing to review scientific data on eel catches to determine if a Non Detriment Finding can be considered to allow trading to continue.
5.2 Lough Erne
5.2.1 Fishing activity on Lough Erne is dominated by the recreational fishery but there is a small commercial fishery which currently is only permitted to catch pike in the winter. DAERA owns the fishing rights, and permits to commercially fish in the Lough are restricted. The traditional eel fishery in the Lough was closed in 2010 as it failed to meet the escapement targets required under the EU Eel regulations.
5.2.2 There have been calls to reinstate the Lough Erne eel fishery by local commercial fishermen but, whilst the escapement target has been met
in recent years, there is an insufficient surplus of eels to operate a viable fishery. Lough Erne is covered in the North West International Basin District Eel plan which is trans-boundary and therefore has to be agreed by both jurisdictions (UK and RoI). Subsequently any changes to it will require similar cross boarder agreement as it will affect fishermen on both sides.
6. PROCESSING AND TRADE
6.1 In July 2017 the latest annual statistical publication on the Northern Ireland food and drinks processing sector was published. It provided comprehensive information on the size and performance of the fishing industry for 2014 and 2015.The latest figures available for 2015 show that the NI Fishing Industry has a turnover of £77 million. £13m of this amount serviced the NI market, £34m went to the UK market, (61% UK) and £6m went to ROI (8%), £22m to other EU (28%) and 2.3 m (3%) to the rest of the world.
6.2 In 2015 approximately 8% (£6m) of NI fish products went to the ROI and raw product for many processing activities in NI is sourced from Irish waters.
6.3 Non-tariff barriers
6.3.1 The EU has a robust policy to combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. In order to ensure that only fish imported into the EU comes from sustainable and well managed fisheries an IUU Catch Certificate scheme was established. Any country wishing to trade with the EU must have its fisheries management system approved by the EU and any fish imported into the EU must be accompanied by an IUU catch certificate.
6.3.2 When the UK leaves the EU it will become a third country and any fish that the UK imports into the EU will require a Catch Certificate (CC). Currently the UK has to produce relatively few export catch certificates as they are not required when exporting within the EU. They are only required for third countries that require them such as Norway, or for product that is exported outside the EU for processing and then imported back into the EU. The number of catch certificates required for NI exports will therefore increase upon exit. There will also be the need to process more import catch certificates. This will be a significant issue for NI given that the factories source a high percentage of their inputs from ports all over Ireland. Nephrops represent a large proportion of those imports.
7. LOUGHS AGENCY
7.1 The Loughs Agency, which is a cross border implementation body, delivers a range of fisheries management, development and promotional functions in Lough Foyle and Carlingford Lough and their respective catchment areas. The Agency operates and enforces its fisheries protection function on a cross-border basis and is in a unique position in that it can prosecute offenders on both sides of the border. It is funded (approx £4m) by both the Irish and NI Government on a 50:50 basis.
7.2 As the Agency was established under the Good Friday Agreement and is enshrined in both Irish and UK legislation. It is assumed that it will continue post EU exit However, the Agency relies on EU funding for a number of support programmes and this may be impacted on post Brexit. The implications for staff under the North-South pension scheme would also need to be considered.
Annex A Overview of the NI Sea Fishing Sector – 2016
1. In 2016, vessels registered in Northern Ireland landed 29,400 tonnes of fish worth approximately £41.6 million into ports in the UK and abroad representing around 4.4% of the total value landed by UK vessels.
Shellfish (e.g. nephrops, scallops, lobsters) accounted for 76% of the value of fish landed by NI vessels, pelagic (e.g. herring, mackerel) landings were 17.5% and demersal (e.g. haddock, cod) landings 6.5%.
2. In December 2016, there were 327 vessels licensed by Northern Ireland (42 based at Ardglass, 96 at Kilkeel, 50 at Portavogie and 139 elsewhere).
These figures represent a decrease in vessels from 2012 when there were 344 Northern Ireland licensed fishing vessels.
Distribution of licensed fishing vessels, by size, across Northern Ireland
| 10m and under | Over 10m | Total | |||
Dec 12 | Dec 16 | Dec 12 | Dec 16 | Dec 12 | Dec 2016 | |
Ardglass | 16 | 14 | 26 | 28 | 42 | 42 |
Kilkeel | 48 | 41 | 55 | 55 | 103 | 96 |
Portavogie | 18 | 21 | 39 | 29 | 57 | 50 |
Other | 124 | 113 | 18 | 26 | 142 | 139 |
Total | 206 | 189 | 138 | 138 | 344 | 327 |
3. The Northern Ireland fishing fleet is generally comprised of older vessels with the majority of vessels over 25 years old. This high age profile raises a number of important issues for the local fleet, particularly with regard to ongoing seaworthiness, health and safety and fuel efficiency. The charts below are based on vessels registered to Northern Ireland in 2016.
Age of Vessels in the NI fleet – 2016
Age of Vessels in the Over 10m and 10m and Under NI Fleet - 2016
4. The structure of the fleet shows some replacement of older vessels from 2012. Nephrops continues to be the main fishery for a large part of the NI fleet; there are now 72 vessels, featuring a mixture of single and multiple trawl vessels, fishing exclusively for nephrops. In addition there are some 30 vessels who also target other species alongside or as an alternative to nephrops. The strength of this fishery is based on Irish Sea nephrops stocks for which the Total Allowable Catches have been stable over recent years.
The structure of the over 10m NI fishing fleet at 31 December 2016*
Vessel Type (Main Gear Type) | Number |
Whitefish (e.g. haddock, cod, whiting) | 1 |
Nephrops (prawns) | 72 |
Whitefish / Nephrops | 10 |
Pelagic (e.g. herring, mackerel) | 2 |
Scallopers | 17 |
Nephrops / Scallopers | 20 |
Others | 16 |
5. The whitefish fleet has reduced significantly since 2000 in line with the decline in the cod stock and a succession of TAC cuts, fishing effort restrictions and the imposition of the spring cod spawning closure in the Irish Sea. In 2016 there was only one full time whitefish vessel targeting mainly haddock and taking advantage of fishing opportunities in the Irish Sea, Celtic Sea and North Sea. Ten other vessels fished both whitefish and nephrops gear in 2016 targeting mainly haddock and hake using the TR1 gear. Although the outlook for some stocks such as haddock is good, and cod is improving, whiting stocks remain poor.
6. The pelagic sector targets mainly mackerel and herring mostly in the Irish Sea, West of Scotland, and in the case of the largest vessel further afield into the Atlantic. These are profitable and sustainable fisheries and long term prospects are generally good.
7. The remainder of the fleet mainly fishes for shellfish in the Irish Sea and ranges from over 15m scallopers to “under 10m” vessels fishing for lobster and crab. This sector is considered reasonably stable and profitable, but data on shellfish stocks and catches from the under 10m vessels is limited
and there is ongoing action to improve the knowledge of these stocks.
8. The vast majority of landings by UK Vessels within Northern Ireland takes place in the three Co. Down fishing villages of Ardglass, Kilkeel and Portavogie. In 2016, 21% of the total value of catches was landed into Ardglass, while Kilkeel and Portavogie accounted for 32% and 24% respectively. Only 23% of the total value was landed in other ports. Ardglass is the main centre for processing pelagic fish in NI.
9. There was an increase in fish landings in 2016 from the previous year with a slight rise in overall prices.
The quantity of fish landed in NI by port 2012– 2016
| 2012 tonnes | 2013 tonnes | 2014 tonnes | 2015 tonnes | 2016 tonnes |
Ardglass | 6,807 | 7,839 | 6,875 | 4,347 | 2,963 |
Kilkeel | 5,288 | 5,189 | 4,466 | 5,346 | 4,766 |
Portavogie | 3,671 | 3,379 | 3,250 | 3,438 | 3,414 |
Other | 5,222 | 2,962 | 3,469 | 5,632 | 8,366 |
Totals | 20,988 | 19,369 | 18,058 | 18,763 | 19,509 |
The value of recorded landings in NI by port 2012 - 2016
| 2012 (£’000) | 2013 (£’000) | 2014 (£’000) | 2015 (£’000) | 2016 (£’000) |
Ardglass | 7,850 | 6,934 | 6,270 | 5,590 | 5,935 |
Kilkeel | 9,090 | 7,661 | 8,227 | 8,673 | 9,202 |
Portavogie | 7,236 | 5,551 | 6,472 | 6,413 | 6,976 |
Other | 4,570 | 3,120 | 3,833 | 5,056 | 6,628 |
Totals | 28,746 | 23,266 | 24,802 | 25,732 | 28,741 |
10. In 2016 UK vessels landed 19,500 tonnes of fish with a value of £28.7 million into Northern Ireland. The tables below list the top ten landings into NI ports by UK Vessels in 2016 (by weight and value)
Top 10 landings in NI ports by live weight(T) with value (£)
Species | ‘000 tonnes | £ million |
Nephrops (Norway Lobster) | 7.3 | 16.5 |
Herring | 4.8 | 2.5 |
Mackerel | 2.3 | 1.6 |
Scallops (King and Queen) | 1.6 | 3.5 |
Crabs | 1.2 | 1.2 |
Haddock | 0.8 | 1.0 |
Monks or Anglers | 0.3 | 0.6 |
Mussels | 0.3 | 0.2 |
Lobster | 0.1 | 0.8 |
Hake | 0.1 | 0.2 |
Total | 18.8 | 28.1 |
(Pollack and Whelks live weight are also 0.1t)
Top 10 landings in NI ports by value (£) with live weight
(T))
Species | £ million | ‘000 tonnes |
Nephrops (Norway Lobster) | 16.5 | 7.3 |
Scallops (King and Queen) | 3.5 | 1.6 |
Herring | 2.5 | 4.8 |
Mackerel | 1.6 | 2.3 |
Crabs | 1.2 | 1.2 |
Haddock | 1.0 | 0.8 |
Lobster | 0.8 | 0.1 |
Monks or Anglers | 0.6 | 0.3 |
Mussels | 0.2 | 0.3 |
Hake | 0.2 | 0.1 |
Total | 28.1 | 18.8In |
11. Northern Ireland share of the main Irish Sea (VIIa) and Western Waters (VII) Total Allowable Catches (TAC) 2018.
NI Share of Total Allowable Catches 2018
| ICES Area | 2018 EC TAC (t) | 2018 UK TAC (t) | NI Share % | NI Share (t) |
Cod* | Vlla | 695 | 200 | 73.2 | 146 |
Haddock | Vlla | 3207 | 1536 | 77.2 | 1186 |
Herring | Vlla | 7016 | 5190 | 80.5 | 4178 |
Nephrop s | Vll |
29091 |
9543 |
89.6 |
8551 |
Plaice | Vlla | 1793 | 458 | 55.6 | 255 |
Sole* | Vlla | 40 | 10 | 17.6 | 2 |
Whiting | Vlla | 80 | 31 | 80.2 | 25 |
12. Employment within the Northern Ireland catching sector is given in the tables below.
Employment by the NI catching sector 2007 - 2016
Year | Full Time | Part Ti m e | Total |
2007 | 557 | 101 | 658 |
2008 | 532 | 93 | 625 |
2009 | 541 | 113 | 654 |
2010 | 535 | 113 | 648 |
2011 | 578 | 110 | 688 |
2012 * | 654 | 154 | 808 |
2013 | 675 | 139 | 814 |
2014 | 683 | 149 | 832 |
2015 | 708 | 151 | 859 |
2016 | 700 | 175 | 875 |
* From 2012 the methodology for gathering information on employment in the catching sector changed and complete inshore potting data is now included
Catching sector employment distribution 2015- 2016
| Full time | Part time | Total | |||
District | 2015 | 2016 | 2015 | 2016 | 2015 | 2016 |
Ardglass | 120 | 104 | 8 | 19 | 128 | 123 |
Kilkeel | 338 | 350 | 71 | 85 | 409 | 435 |
Portavogie | 215 | 210 | 44 | 45 | 259 | 255 |
North Coast | 35 | 36 | 28 | 26 | 63 | 62 |
Totals | 708 | 700 | 151 | 175 | 859 | 875 |
Data Sources
UK Sea Fisheries Statistics 2016
Paragraph 1 - derived from Table 3.1 Landings into UK and abroad by UK Vessels: 2012 to 2016
Paragraph 3 - derived from Tables 2.4a, 2.4b and 2.4c Age of NI Vessels by Administration Port: 2016
Paragraph 8– derived from Table 3.14d – Landings into major ports in Northern Ireland by UK Vessels 2016
Paragraph 10 – derived from Table 3.2d – Landings into Northern Ireland by UK Vessels: 2012 to 2016
Paragraph 11 – derived from Table 2.6 Number of UK Fishermen: 1939 to 2016 (plus data from NI Port Offices)
DAERA Fisheries Statistics
Paragraph 2 - Distribution of licensed fishing vessels, by size, across Northern Ireland
Paragraph 4 – The Structure of the Over 10m NI Fishing Fleet for licensed vessels
Annex B the Northern Ireland zone for devolved fisheries management