Ireland haddock - trawl & seine

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Overview

Haddock is an important species for Irish demersal fisheries. In 2018 the Irish fleet landed 3500 tonnes worth approximately €6.5 million.   

Haddock live near the sea bed at depths between 10 and 200m and Irish waters provide important spawning and nursery areas for the species. Irish waters are at the southern end of the distribution of haddock, allowing them to grow fast and mature early. They reach a length of around 27cm after two years of growth and most haddock are mature at age two. However, haddock are a cold water species and warm winters have been linked to poor recruitment success. All haddock stocks occasionally produce extremely large fluctuations in stock size which can make managing the stock at the Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) level challenging. 

The vast majority of Irish haddock catches are made with trawls (otter trawls and seines). The Celtic Sea (ICES area 7b-k) is the most important area for Irish haddock fishing. 

TR1 gears (trawls and seines with a codend mesh size ≥100mm) are responsible for the majority of the haddock catch by Irish vessels in the Celtic Sea (57% of landings and discards in 7.b-c, e-k between 2014 and 2016; STECF, 2017a). The TR1 fishery in the Celtic Sea is characterized as a mixed fishery, mainly targeting gadoid species, such as haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus), cod (Gadus morhua), and whiting (Merlangius merlangus) as well as anglerfish and megrim.  

TR2 gears (trawls and seines with a codend mesh size range 70-100mm) are responsible for most of the remainder of Irish haddock catches in the Celtic Sea (29% of landings and discards in 7.b-c, e-k between 2014 and 2016).  

FIP Description 

Haddock is an important species for Irish demersal fisheries. In 2018 the Irish fleet landed 3500 tonnes worth approximately €6.5 million.   

FIP Objective(s) 

  • To improve observer programs and enhance data collection by 2022 and to monitor observer coverage rates and industry data provision levels.  

  • To promote the use of gears and approaches which reduce bycatch and discards in the fishery by 2025 and to monitor changes in uptake levels of such gears.   

  • Increase compliance with the Landing Obligation by raising awareness & understanding of this management measure by 2024 

 

FIP Type 
Basic
FIP Stage 
Stage 4: Improvements in Fishing Practices or Fishery Management
Start and Projected End Dates
October 2020
September 2025
Next Progress Report Due 
Friday, January 31, 2025
Species 
Common Name 
Haddock
Scientific Name
Melanogrammus aeglefinus
Buying Guide Link Image 
Haddock
Buying Guide
Gear Type 
Bottom Trawl
Seine
Location
FAO Major Fishing Area
Area 27 (Atlantic, Northeast)
Exclusive Economic Zones
Country 
Ireland
Geographic Scope 
Entire country
Landings
Estimated Total FIP Landings 
4,200 metric tons
Estimated Total Fishery Landings 
5,200 metric tons
Landings Date 
November 2022
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FIP at a Glance

View current status
October 01, 2020
4% 39% 32% 25%
Progress Rating (A) Advanced Progress

Reserved for comprehensive FIPs that have achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result within the past 12 months.

(B) Good Progress

A basic FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result within 12 months.

(C) Some Recent Progress
  • A FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result in more than 12 (but less than 24) months AND has reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
  • A FIP younger than 12 months that has never achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result but has reported a Stage 3 activity within the first 12 months.
(D) Some Past Progress
  • A FIP that has achieved a Stage 4 or 5 result in more than 12 (but less than 24) months BUT has not reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
  • A FIP for which the most recent Stage 4 or 5 result is more than 24 (but less than 36) months old AND a Stage 3 activity has been reported within six months.
  • A FIP 12-36 months old that has never reported a Stage 4 or 5 result AND has reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.
(E) Negligible Progress
  • A FIP for which the most recent Stage 4 or 5 result is more than 24 (but less than 36) months old, with no Stage 3 activity reported in the last six months.
  • A FIP younger than 12 months with no Stage 3 activity reported within 12 months.
  • A FIP 12-36 months old that has never reported a Stage 4 or 5 result AND has not reported a Stage 3 activity within the past six months.

The ratings are currently derived by SFP from publicly available data on FIP websites, including FisheryProgress.org, and are determined using the following methodology: View PDF
B Good Progress
Actions Complete

This pie chart represents completed environmental actions. Non-completed environmental actions may contain completed sub-tasks that are not illustrated here. For more information on environmental action progress visit the Actions Progress tab.
  • Complete
  • Incomplete
Next Update Due FisheryProgress requires a FIP to provide update reports every six months, and two missed reports will render the FIP inactive. If a report is overdue, this date will appear red.
Jan 2025
Target End Date
Sep 2025
Additional Impacts:
Ecosystem

FIP Leads

Organization Name 
Marine Applications Ltd
Organization Type 
Consultant
Primary Contact 
Frank Fleming
Email 
frank@veri.fish
Phone 
00353214928934
Website Name 
Verifish
Organization Name 
Verifact
Organization Type 
Consultant
Primary Contact 
Mike Fitzpatrick
Email 
mike@vfact.com
Phone 
00353214928934
Website Name 
Irish Fishery Improvement Projects
FIP Identification Number The FIP Identification Number is automatically generated by FisheryProgress when a FIP profile is created. While the number itself is not meaningful, they are used by NGOs, academia, and industry to refer to FIPs in a consistent way.
14322