About
As an island nation the Maritime, Fishing & Aquaculture sector is extremely important to Ireland. All of our goods come in from overseas, often through our ports. Fishing is the bedrock of many coastal communities, with fish farming adding to the employment from sea fishing. Ireland’s waterways are a major tourist attraction, especially for anglers.
Skills
Key Facts
registered fishing vessels in 2018
million worth of seafood exported in 2018
tonnes of wild and farmed seafood caught in 2017
growth in Shipping and Maritime Employment between 2014-16
Labour Market Information
The Irish seafood sector employs over 14,000 people and is worth €1.15 billion to the economy. Although a growing sector over the last 7 years, the United Kingdom's decision to withdraw from the European Union poses many challenges for the seafood sector. Future access to fishing grounds, quota allocation, and regulatory divergence are but some of the issues, unique to seafood, that remain unresolved.
There were 104,600 working in agriculture and fishing combined at the end of 2018, 54.6% of national employment, a reduction on the 111,700 people employed in sector in 2017. The vast majority (95%) of this employment was in the core agriculture activities of crop and animal production. Forestry, fishing and other agriculture activities made up the remaining 5%.
In this Sector...
Shipping and Maritime Transport
There are several industry sectors closely related to shipping, these include using Ireland’s ports to welcome cruise ships, offshore exploration for gas, as well as the construction and maintenance of platforms and building or repairing ships.
Sea Fishing
Sea fishing is an important focus of economic life in communities all along Ireland’s coast, providing jobs, income and investment, while playing a key role in local identity.
Fish Farming
Fish farming, also termed aquaculture, is the activity of raising marine life in enclosures, primarily for use as food.
Advice from Experts...
If you want to know more about working in the in the sector, hear what the experts have to say.
