Report of the ICES Advisory Committee on Fishery Management, 1998 Part 2

The roundfish fisheries in the Irish Sea are conducted primarily by vessels from the bordering countries (UK and Ireland). The majority of vessels are otter-trawlers fishing for cod, whiting and plaice, with by-catches of haddock, anglerfish, hake and sole. The mesh size is 80 mm and 80 mm square mesh panels have been mandatory for UK otter-trawlers since 1993, and for Irish trawlers since 1994. The number of Irish vessels operating in this region has declined in recent years. Fishing effort in the England and Wales fleet of vessels longer than 12.2 m declined rapidly after 1989, and over 1992-1995 was about 40% of the effort reported in the 1980s,although it has increased again in recent years. Since the early 1980s there bas been a development of semi-pelagic trawling for cod and whiting, predominantly by vessels from Northern Ireland. Some of these vessels switch between pelagic trawling and twin-trawl fishing for Nephrops depending on fishing opportunities and market demands.