Ireland whiting - trawl and seine

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Overview

Whiting (Merlangius merlangus) is an important species for Irish demersal fisheries. On average approximately 2,800 tonnes of whiting were landed in mixed demersal fisheries by Irish vessels between 2020 and 2022, 79% of these were caught in 7g. In 2022 landings were worth approximately €3.5 million for Irish vessels.

Whiting are widely distributed throughout Irish and European waters from the shallows down to depths of around 200m. Adults are found over sandy/muddy ground. Juveniles are most abundant in coastal waters.

Whiting are voracious feeders appearing in large shoals and feeding largely on crustaceans and small fish. Their fine sharp teeth reflect their predatory diet; hunting mobile prey in the water column. They are fast growing and can grow up to 20cm in their first year at which stage about 60% are sexually mature. At age 2 almost 100% of females and ~ 85% of males are fully mature.

The distribution of whiting landings by Irish vessels between 2017 and 2021 shows that most whiting were caught around the “Smalls” area in the Celtic Sea. The majority of Irish landings are from trips where whiting was the dominant species. The remainder are taken in a more mixed fishery and are landed with haddock, hake, megrim, anglerfish and Nephrops.

The vast majority of Irish whiting catches are made with trawls (otter trawls and seines). 

Gear types bottom trawls/ seines with codend mesh size 80-100mm are responsible for the majority of the whiting catch by Irish vessels in the Celtic Sea. The 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.

 

FIP Description 

Whiting (Merlangius merlangus) is an important species for Irish demersal fisheries. On average approximately 2,800 tonnes of whiting were landed in mixed demersal fisheries by Irish vessels between 2020 and 2022, 79% of these were caught

FIP Objective(s) 
  • To collect baseline information to improve the knowledge of the impact of the fishery on main in-scope species (Dec 2025).
  • To work with Marine Institute scientists to identify barriers to achieving MSY and to improve the data available for management and decision making (Dec 2026).
  • To examine stock rebuilding options for areas 7a and 7b-k (Dec 2025).
  • To improve data provision and information on ETP and Out of Scope Species (Dec 2025).
  • To communicate with fishery stakeholders in order to improve industry understanding of management measures, and rules under the Landing Obligation (April 2029).
FIP Type 
Basic
FIP Stage 
Stage 2: FIP Launch
Start and Projected End Dates
March 2024
April 2029
Next Progress Report Due 
Tuesday, December 31, 2024
Species 
Common Name 
European Whiting
Scientific Name
Merlangius merlangus
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 
1,900 metric tons
Estimated Total Fishery Landings 
2,800 metric tons
Landings Date 
November 2023
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FIP at a Glance

View current status
March 01, 2024
21% 29% 46% 4%
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
Not yet available
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.
Dec 2024
Target End Date
Apr 2029

FIP Leads

Organization Name 
Verifact
Organization Type 
Consultant
Primary Contact 
Mike Fitzpatrick
Email 
mike@vfact.com
Phone 
00353214928934
Website Name 
Irish Fishery Improvement Projects
Organization Name 
Verifact
Organization Type 
Consultant
Primary Contact 
Frank Fleming
Email 
frank@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.
23382