email editor
CSO figures have show Irish fishing vessel landings has decreased by 8.9% from 2018 to 2019
The latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that landings by Irish trawlers decreased by 8.9% from 213,897 tonnes in 2018 to 194,956 tonnes in 2019.
Landings by Irish vessels in Ireland dropped by 5.7% or 10,453 tonnes. Landings by Irish vessels in foreign ports decreased by 28.7% or 8,487 tonnes. Landings by foreign vessels in Ireland decreased by 22% or 29,091 tonnes.
The highest level of landings by Irish vessels in Ireland during 2010-2019 was in 2012 when 249,205 tonnes were landed. The highest level of landings by Irish vessels in foreign ports during the same period was in 2010 when 153,440 tonnes were landed. Almost half of this (73,535 tonnes) was Boarfish.
In 2019 the species with the largest quantities landed by Irish vessels in Ireland were Atlantic Mackerel (45,986 tonnes), Blue Whiting (33,548 tonnes) and Horse Mackerel (27,898 tonnes) (see Table 3A). Over the 2010-2019 period, Atlantic Mackerel and Lobster Norway have consistently been the two species with the highest value landings, a pattern continued in 2019 with Atlantic Mackerel at €66.7 million and Lobster Norway at €51.1 million.
The median prices per tonne for landings by Irish vessels in Ireland saw Lobster European, Sole Black and Turbot obtain the highest prices. The median price per tonne of Lobster European in 2019 was €18,000. In contrast species with much higher tonnages, like Atlantic Mackerel, obtained lower prices.
Killybegs was the most important port for Irish landings in 2019 accounting for 63.1% (123,067 tonnes) of all landings by Irish vessels. Killybegs (74,693 tonnes) and Castletownbere (23,329 tonnes) were the ports with the highest tonnages landed by foreign vessels in Ireland.
The Celtic Sea accounted for 28% (48,620 tonnes) of catch tonnages by Irish vessels that were landed in Ireland in 2019. The South-West of Ireland was next highest at 22.6% (39,295 tonnes), followed by the West of Ireland at 12.9% (22,431 tonnes).
In terms of tonnes landed by Irish vessels the busiest months were January to April and October to December. In 2019, 64% of the catch landed by Irish vessels was in the January to April period. There was greater variability at species level e.g. 60% of landings by Irish vessels of Blue Whiting in 2019 took place in March.
Source: Central Statistics Office
