Activity patterns of some inshore fishing vessels in 2006-2007

Abstract

Observations of daily “absence-from-port” patterns and indications of gears used were carried out on 147 vessels ranging from 5 to 13 m overall length, between April 2006 and March 2007 at three ports in west, southwest and southern Ireland. The vessels numbered approximately 6% of the total national fleet and they were larger than the average length of boats observing a daily working “absence-from-port” pattern. Fishing gears belonged to one of five categories: shellfish dredges, nets, hook and line, pots and otter trawl. More than half of the vessels observed did not carry any indication of fishing gear; 46 % had evidence of using one gear and 3% showed signs of using two. Activity (absence) patterns were low, ranging between 14 and 42 % of week-days on which observations were made. The annual pattern of gear usage described by BIM in 1999 was not apparent in any of the three ports. Instead, the local availability of fishing opportunities was influential in deciding which methods predominated. In only one port was there a marked seasonal activity pattern. Visible signs of vessel registration were similar to the situation in 2002.