MSC pre-assesment made available

Project participants confirmed

Updated 2024 workplan

Workplan made public

The FIP held a meeting with the Marine Institute to discuss the Saithe FIP workplan, focusing on industry data provision, stock assessment improvements, and future conservation strategies. They also reviewed management strategy evaluations for Celtic Sea stocks and plan to meet with MI whitefish scientists to explore potential outcomes for key commercial species.

The FIP held a meeting to discuss strategic priorities including industry data provisions and sampling programs and highlighted support for T90 mesh codends based on skipper consultation.

The FIP held a meeting with vessel owners and skippers to discuss the state of whitefish stocks, stock rebuilding efforts and how to improve levels of industry data provisions. Following the meeting, the group agreed on a set of actions to improve industry data. 

 A study was conducted to assess the practicalities of pair seining in a fishery targeting mixed-demersal fish species in the Celtic Sea; the trial showed that Irish solo seiners could effectively work together in pair-seining, reducing fuel consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and engine load.

FIP steering committee group meeting held in June 2023; the FIP coordinators in attendance discussed and analyzed the FIP workplan, the decommissioning scheme and ongoing FIP action progress. 

The FIP participated in the North Western Waters Advisory Council (NWWAC) meeting; alternative approaches to the Landing Obligation were explored and detailed in a supporting letter to the Director General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries at the European Commission.

The FIP has been conducting gear trials utilizing artificial light in an effort to enhance catch selectivity and energy efficiency; recent trial data has demonstrated an increase in primary species catch weight and reductions in non-target and ETP species.

FIP held a meeting with Marine Institute to further discuss observer data collection techniques

Six workshops held over the course of 2022 to reiterate the need to improve the provision of industry data through self-sampling and observer coverage.

The FIP gave a presentation on FIP progress to Foyle's fishermen's Co-Op at the Greencastle port 

Irish whitefish sub-group held a meeting to outline ongoing FIP actions that require support

New data collection protocol (self-sampling protocol) has been developed by the FIP for biological and gear data.

Irish haddock and saithe FIP meeting held in December 2021; the FIP has increased its vessel membership and decided to create a working group that will focus on tackling different FIP actions. A presentation was also given at the meeting by the Marine Institute Fisheries liaison on the state of the stocks.

Task force members are collaborating on an ongoing fishing vessel decommissioning initiative to permanently reduce the capacity of the Irish demersal fishing fleet; a report outlining the task force has been made available.

Haddock and Saithe FIP meetings held in June 2021; FIP is working on developing a program for improving supply of industry self-sampling data 

FIP held meeting in fall of 2020

Increase to PI 2.2.3; the FIP has obtained increased information on secondary species and elasmobranch catch composition. 

FIP has developed and is currently implementing a data collection program, contributing data to the Marine Institute's analysis