As an island nation, the fishing industry in Ireland is both economically and socially important, particularly to coastal communities.
The natural, clean waters around the country’s 7,500 km of coastline has provided exceptionally good seafood for thousands of years, but this valuable resource hasn’t always been exploited to its full potential.
Prior to joining the then EEC in 1973, the Irish fishing industry received little State investment and the fishing fleet was made up of small vessels operating on a relatively modest basis.
A government report from 1970 shows Irish exports of fish and fishery products worth £2.7 million went almost entirely to EU countries and the UK.
Back then, all coastal nations had exclusive fishing rights up to six nautical miles from their coastline but Ireland often didn’t have any available ships to police Irish waters.
The 1973 accession of Ireland, along with the UK and Denmark, significantly expanded the EEC's fishing resources and highlighted the need for a common fishing policy.
When Norway and Iceland declared 200 mile fishing limits in 1977 the EEC reciprocated, and the development of a fishing policy for Europe became urgent.
After lengthy and difficult negotiations the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) was finally agreed in 1983, and Ireland was granted funding for four new naval vessels to help patrol its extended Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) waters.
Being part of the European Union helped Ireland’s fishing industry develop and by 2023 Irish seafood valued at €552 million was being exported to the EU, the UK, and over 40 other countries around the world.
However, the CFP has been a contentious issue in Ireland with concerns often raised over the country’s share of fishing quotas and more recently, the significant negative impact of Brexit on the Irish fishing industry.
The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP)
During much of the 20th century relentless fishing and marine pollution pushed some global fish stocks to the brink of extinction. Sustainable fishing has become a matter of survival – not just for fish stocks, but for fishing industries and coastal communities too.
The Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is a set of rules aimed at conserving fish stocks, managing fishing fleets and guaranteeing incomes and stable jobs for fishers.
The rules are negotiated and agreed between Member States to give European fishing fleets equal access to EU waters and allow them to compete fairly while conserving fish stocks for the future.
It also helps organise the market for fishery and aquaculture products and supports measures that protect the marine environment from threats such as overfishing, climate change and the dumping of plastics in our oceans.
Fish stocks are renewable, but they are also finite. In order to sustainably manage fisheries, the European Commission regularly proposes catch limits, called Total Allowable Catches (TACs). TACs are based on the latest scientific advice and agreements with non-EU countries for shared stocks. When agreements are finalised, TACs are distributed in the form of national quotas, which can be exchanged or transferred between EU countries. Following Brexit, the European Commission engages in consultations with the UK on behalf of the EU to set TACs for shared stocks. However, under the post-Brexit EU/UK Trade & Cooperation Agreement, Ireland’s quota share up to 2026 has been reduced by 15% compared with the overall value of 2020 Irish quotas.
The CFP was last reformed in 2013 but the policy and its implementation are continually assessed and updated. In 2023 the Commission presented a package of measures aimed at improving the sustainability and resilience of the EU's fisheries and aquaculture sector. The package included an assessment of how the CFP was functioning and a new Action Plan to protect and restore marine ecosystems. The Commission also launched the Fishers of the Future study to examine the future role of fishers in society up to 2050.
Benefits of the CFP
- The CFP is phasing out discarding, the practice of throwing unwanted fish overboard either because they are too small or the fisherman has no quota for the catch.
- The CFP places the EU as a frontrunner in the global fight against illegal unreported and unregulated fishing through international fisheries law.
- The EU is taking action to combat the estimated eight million tonnes of plastics that end up in the sea each year, much of it from the fishing industry.
- The Common Organisation of the Markets (COM) pillar of the CFP helps promote the quality and sustainability of European seafood. It’s also designed to protect producers and ensure a level playing field for all fishery products sold in the EU, regardless of origin.
Questions and Answers on the Common Fisheries Policy today and tomorrow
Funding for Fisheries
The European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) is the main financial instrument used to provide funding to implement the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and the EU Maritime Policy. It also contributes to achieving the goals of the EU agenda for international ocean governance.
The EMFAF covers the period from 2021 to 2027 and it provides support for innovative projects that ensure aquatic and maritime resources are used sustainably. Some of the funding is used to help fishermen transition to sustainable fishing methods and vessels and to help coastal communities diversify their economies.
The fund co-finances projects with Member States and each country is allocated a share of the budget based on the size of its fishing industry.
“I am delighted to announce the adoption of the EMFAF programme for Ireland. The programme aims to boost the resilience of the entire seafood sector, to accelerate its green transition, as well as to support the coastal communities. The programme will also enhance knowledge to deal with climate change and impacts on marine biodiversity.”
Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius
The Irish EMFAF Programme has funding of €258.4 million with the EU contributing €142.4 million and the Irish Government providing €116 million. As well as contributing to objectives outlined in the EU Green Deal and the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies, the programme seeks to address long-term structural reforms needed to mitigate Brexit’s impact on the Irish seafood sector. The Irish government has stated that Ireland’s seafood sector benefited from almost €308 million in funding from the EU’s Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR) for development and restructuring schemes.
Under the previous European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), which ran from 2014-2020, Ireland had access to funding of €239.2 million.
European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund
European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund Ireland 2021-2027
Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGs)
EMFAF funding supports Irish coastal communities and small-scale fisheries through Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGs). Each FLAG has its own development strategy that addresses specific local issues in its area. Ireland’s Seafood Development Agency, Bord Iascaigh Mhara, provides the financial resources, guidance, and framework for Irish FLAGs to operate and achieve their goals.
Community Led Local Development (CLLD) is a key factor in selecting projects for EMFAF support. That means the funding allocated can be prioritised for projects that benefit local communities the most.
The seven Irish FLAGs are South FLAG, (Cork), Southwest (Kerry, Limerick), Southeast (Waterford, Wexford, Wicklow), West (Mayo, Clare), Northwest (Mayo, Sligo), North (Donegal) and North East (Dublin, Louth, Meath).
At a European Level, FAMENET (Fisheries and Aquaculture Monitoring, Evaluation and Local Support Network) provides support for the implementation of the EMFAF and its predecessor, the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF).
Irish projects supported by EMFF or EMFAF:
- Locals on Achill Island developed the Achill Experience, Aquarium and Visitor Centre in a disused building, creating six full-time and three part-time jobs for local residents, mostly relatives of fishermen, in the process.
- The Ocean Leaves Southeast FLAG project enabled a small company to scale up its production of algae and develop supply chains across the country.
- Supported by the EMFF, the SeaRover project has made ground-breaking discoveries, contributed to ocean conservation efforts and helped Ireland fulfil its national obligation to map vulnerable fisheries resources and the Irish coast.
- Bord Iascaigh Mhara developed the Aquaculture Remote Classroom (ARC) as part of the European wide #FarmedintheEU campaign. Although the project has been carried out in 10 other EU countries, Ireland was the only one that developed a mobile classroom.
- Locals living and working near Galway Bay set up Cuan Beo to reverse a decline in the quality of its famous shellfish producing waters.
Fish facts
- According to the Bord Iascaigh Mhara Business of Seafood Report, the total value of Ireland’s seafood economy in 2022 was €1.3 billion, up from €1.25 billion the previous year.
- The seafood sector provided direct and indirect employment for 15,373 people in 2022.
- In 2022, fish landings by foreign vessels in Irish ports were at 110,259 tonnes, which was 41% of total landings in Ireland. Fish landings by Irish vessels in Ireland and foreign ports decreased by 15% between 2021 and 2022.
- Killybegs had the highest quantity of fish landings in 2022 accounting for 65% of landings by Irish vessels in Ireland.
- According to Bord Bia, overall primary seafood exports were estimated at €435 million in 2023. Exports of value-added (processed or treated) seafood products were worth €115 million.
Latest fisheries news
The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, a €25.6 million Irish scheme to support the fishery sector affected by the effects of the withdrawal of the UK from the EU.
The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, a €7 million Irish scheme to support the fish processing sector affected by the effects of the withdrawal of the UK from the EU.
The European Commission has presented a package of measures to improve the sustainability and resilience of the EU's fisheries and aquaculture sector.
The Commission has adopted the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) programme for Ireland.
The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, an €80 million Irish scheme to support the fishery sector affected by the effects of the withdrawal of the UK from the EU.
The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, a €1 million Irish scheme to support fisheries cooperatives affected by the effects of the withdrawal of the UK from the EU.
The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, a €20 million Irish scheme to support the aquaculture sector affected by the effects of the withdrawal of the UK from the EU.
The Commission is proposing a new approach for a sustainable blue economy in the EU for the industries and sectors related to oceans, seas and coasts.