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Fish Landings 2021

Tonnage of fish landings by Irish vessels decreased by 5% in 2021

Online ISSN: 2565-5825
CSO statistical publication, , 11am

Key Findings

  • Fish landings by Irish vessels in Ireland and foreign ports decreased by 5% between 2020 and 2021 from 217,981 tonnes to 206,068 tonnes.

  • Fish landings by foreign vessels in Ireland decreased by 14% or 19,538 tonnes in 2021.

  • In 2021, the species with the highest quantity landed by Irish vessels in Ireland was Atlantic Mackerel at 51,476 tonnes.

  • Killybegs had the highest quantity of fish landings in 2021 accounting for 55% of all landings by Irish vessels.

  • In 2021, approximately 66% of the catch landed by Irish vessels was between January and April.

Statistician's Comment

Linh Nolan, Statistician in the Environment and Climate Division of the CSO, noted:

"Landings by Irish trawlers decreased by 5% between 2020 and 2021 from 217,981 tonnes to 206,068 tonnes (see Table A). Landings by Irish vessels in Ireland fell by 3% or 6,259 tonnes. Landings by Irish vessels in foreign ports decreased by 19% or 5,655 tonnes. Landings by foreign vessels in Ireland decreased by 14% or 19,538 tonnes (see Table 2).

The highest level of landings by Irish vessels in Ireland during 2012-2021 was in 2012 when 249,205 tonnes were landed (see Table A and Figure 1). The highest level of landings by Irish vessels in foreign ports during the same period was also in 2012 when 57,339 tonnes were landed. Approximately half of this (29,119 tonnes) was boarfish (see Table 3B).

In 2021 the species for which the largest quantities landed by Irish vessels in Ireland were Atlantic Mackerel (51,476 tonnes), Blue Whiting (36,769 tonnes) and Horse Mackerel (16,246 tonnes) (see Figure 2 and Table 3A). Over the 2012-2021 period, Atlantic Mackerel and Lobster Norway have consistently been the two species with the highest value landings by Irish vessels in Ireland, a pattern continued in 2021 with Atlantic Mackerel valued at €60 million and Lobster Norway at €55 million (see Table 3D).

Killybegs accounted for 55% (114,060 tonnes) of all landings by Irish vessels in 2021 (see Figure 3 and Table 4A). Killybegs (89,276 tonnes) and Castletownbere (20,352 tonnes) were the ports with the highest tonnages landed by foreign vessels in Ireland (see Table 4B).

In terms of tonnes landed by Irish vessels the busiest months were January to April and September to November. In 2021 approximately 66% of the catch landed by Irish vessels was between January and April (see Table 8A). There was greater variability at species level e.g. 70% of landings by Irish vessels of Blue Whiting in 2021 took place in March and 58% of landings by Irish vessels of Atlantic Mackerel occurred in January 2021 (see Figure 5 and Table 8B)."

Tables and Graphs

Table A: Fish Landings in Ireland and Abroad 2012-2021
Tonnes (Live weight equivalent)
Year Irish Vessels Foreign Vessels in Ireland
IrelandForeign PortsTotal
2012249,20557,339306,54480,349
2013202,92639,709242,63576,943
2014220,34455,352275,69674,039
2015204,19429,834234,02893,938
2016207,62033,933241,55368,012
2017213,50131,981245,481100,305
2018184,37529,521213,897132,477
2019173,92221,034194,956103,386
2020188,05129,930217,981136,257
2021181,79224,275206,068116,719
Irish Vessels in IrelandIrish Vessels in Foreign PortsForeign Vessels in Ireland
2012249.20557.33980.349
2013202.92639.70976.943
2014220.34455.35274.039
2015204.19429.83493.938
2016207.6233.93368.012
2017213.50131.981100.305
2018184.37529.521132.477
2019173.92221.034103.386
2020188.05129.93136.257
2021181.79224.275116.719
Atlantic HerringAtlantic MackerelBlue WhitingBoarfishHorse Mackerel
201221.93448.05410.82426.8345.312
201318.59249.18710.8931.15534.692
201421.03379.01816.91414.27732.385
201516.31672.20823.60710.79320.773
201616.73864.83821.8829.18926.068
201711.975.23842.1817.76922.808
20186.96957.14945.9563.77824.847
20194.01345.98633.5489.86127.898
20202.13163.94834.9339.08917.209
20211.7851.47636.76911.90816.246
CastletownbereDunmore EastKillybegs
201228.4313.047123.172
201317.68711.707117.39
201414.59711.319139.616
201515.43610.839123.337
201614.00810.189122.594
20179.0117.612149.908
20189.3695.566130.055
201911.2116.216123.067
20209.7795.202123.233
202111.23911.052114.06

Figure 4: Locations of Irish Ports with Fish Landings by Irish and Foreign Vessels in 2021

 

Atlantic HerringAtlantic MackerelBlue WhitingHorse MackerelTotal
January65804620
February3179159
March1370727
April0121010
May01002
June00002
July00003
August00003
September123034
October2115037
November4600179
December1210103
Table 1A Landings by Irish Vessels in Ireland and in Foreign Ports 2012-2021 (Tonnage and Value)

Table 1B Landings by Irish Vessels by Landing Country 2012-2021 (Tonnage)

Table 1C Landings by Irish Vessels by Landing Country 2012-2021 (Value)

Table 2 Landings by Foreign Vessels in Ireland 2012-2021 (Tonnage and Value)

Table 3A Landings by Irish Vessels in Ireland by Species 2012-2021 (Tonnage)

Table 3B Landings by Irish Vessels in Foreign Ports by Species 2012-2021 (Tonnage)

Table 3C Landings by Foreign Vessels in Ireland by Species 2012-2021 (Tonnage)

Table 3D Landings by Irish Vessels in Ireland by Species 2012-2021 (Value)

Table 3E Landings by Irish Vessels in Foreign Ports by Species 2012-2021 (Value)

Table 3F Landings by Foreign Vessels in Ireland by Species 2012-2021 (Value)

Table 4A Landings by Irish Vessels by Port 2012-2021 (Tonnage)

Table 4B Landings by Foreign Vessels in Ireland by Port 2012-2021 (Tonnage)

Table 4C Landings by Irish Vessels by Port 2012-2021 (Value)

Table 4D Landings by Foreign Vessels in Ireland by Port 2012-2021 (Value)

Table 5A Landings by Irish Vessels in Ireland by County 2012-2021 (Tonnage)

Table 5B Landings by Foreign Vessels in Ireland by County 2012-2021 (Tonnage)

Table 5C Landings by Irish Vessels in Ireland by County 2012-2021 (Value)

Table 5D Landings by Foreign Vessels in Ireland by County 2012-2021 (Value)

Table 6A Landings by All Vessels in Castletownbere by Species 2012-2021 (Tonnage)

Table 6B Landings by All Vessels in Killybegs by Species 2012-2021 (Tonnage)

Table 7A Landings by All Vessels in Ireland for Blue Whiting by Port 2012-2021 (Tonnage)

Table 7B Landings by All Vessels in Ireland for Atlantic Herring by Port 2012-2021 (Tonnage)

Table 7C Landings by All Vessels in Ireland for Atlantic Mackerel by Port 2012-2021 (Tonnage)

Table 7D Landings by All Vessels in Ireland for Horse Mackerel by Port 2012-2021 (Tonnage)

Table 8A Landings by Irish Vessels by Month 2012-2021 (Tonnage Percent)

Table 8B Landings by Irish Vessels by Species by Month 2021 (Tonnage Percent)