Fishing Industry in Ireland

The fishing industry in Ireland represents an important economic activity, generating national income and providing local employment. The industry contributes approximately €700 million a year to the national income and provides 11,000 jobs, mostly to people living around Ireland’s coastal regions. The main areas in Ireland’s fishing industry include commercial fishing, processing, marketing and fish farming. Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) is Ireland’s national body for marine fishing and aquaculture and aims to maintain and develop the Irish fishing sector. Part of BIM’s responsibility is to ensure that measures are taken to sustain the future of the country’s fisheries and aquaculture industry, including the promotion of responsible environmental practices. It also includes the provision of training, business support and technical expertise related to Ireland’s seafood industry. BIM’s measures address both local and international concerns such as overfishing, excessive by-catching, the support for diversification and compliance with international laws. As the high demand for fish and fish products has put considerable strain on the world’s fish supply, the measures taken by the BIM are considered particularly important.