SUPERSEDED - The version has been superseded. And a new edition is now available under the Atlas of Commercial Fisheries around Ireland, Fourth Edition, 2024.

This atlas provides a series of detailed maps of commercial fishing activity around Ireland with the aim of providing insights into fishing activities and fisheries resources. The atlas contains maps of: Fishing effort by vessels of all nationalities by gear type inside the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ); Fishing effort by Irish vessels gear type in all areas where it takes place for each; Landings taken by Irish vessels for the main commercially exploited species. The atlas is the second of its kind and is based on data from fishing vessels of =15m in length over the period 2008-2012. The vessel monitoring and logbook data that form the basis of the maps were collected under Council Regulations (EC) No. 2371/2002 and 1224/2009 and were aggregated and processed by the Marine Institute.

Fishing is one of the most significant ocean uses in the waters around Ireland. However, the ocean is a shared resource and detailed spatial information on fishing activity is particularly relevant in the context of Ireland’s commitments to offshore wind energy and marine protected areas. The fisheries in Irish waters are highly diverse. A large part of this heterogeneity in the fisheries can be explained by spatial patterns in the availability of the target species and in this Atlas we aim to give insights into these fisheries by providing maps of fishing activities and landings of the most important fish and shellfish species. Fishing is one of the most significant ocean uses in the waters around Ireland. However, the ocean is a shared resource and detailed spatial information on fishing activity is particularly relevant in the context of Ireland’s commitments to offshore wind energy and marine protected areas. The fisheries in Irish waters are highly diverse. A large part of this heterogeneity in the fisheries can be explained by spatial patterns in the availability of the target species and in this Atlas we aim to give insights into these fisheries by providing maps of fishing activities and landings of the most important fish and shellfish species.