Updated MSC pre-assessment

MSC pre-assessment made available

Participants confirmed

Updated 2024 workplan

Workplan made public

The FIP met with vessel owners and skippers to discuss the state of Irish whitefish stocks; the FIP agreed with skippers, Co-ops, POs, and scientists to improve industry data provisioning.

The FIP held its first meeting of the year in January 2024; the group discussed ongoing actions and the updated 2024 workplan. 

A study was conducted to assess pair seining in a fishery targeting mixed-demersal fish species in the Celtic Sea; the study concluded that there was improved efficiency of selected catch during nighttime hauls. 

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 

FIP overview document used at FIP workshops in spring/ summer of 2022 made available

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 

Presentation made by Fisheries Board (BIM) Conservation Team Leader on whitefish fishery conservation at FIP meeting

Meeting held with FIP members to present the pre-assessment, workplans (Task 1.2)

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