The Clogherhead herring fishery 1971-73

Abstract

Landings of herrings have occasionally been made at Clogherhead during the last twenty years. The amounts however have varied considerably, the variations being caused both by changes in the availability of herrings and by the effort of the local fishing fleet. Throughout the last few years the scarcity of herrings throughout Europe has resulted in a very good demand and considerable attention is now being paid to the herring stocks in the northern part of the Irish Sea. The annual catches in tons since 1951 in the ICES statistical area VIIa (Irish sea) are shown. These figures have been altered to include landings made in the Isle of Man and to exclude landings made at Dunmore East in the year 1960-1966. Also shown are the landings made along the eastern Irish coast and the landings made at Clogherhead. After considerable fluctuations in the nineteen sixties, the total catch has risen dramatically since 1969. This increase is particularly evident in the catches made from the Isle of Man fishery. In 1969 also the Irish catch increased considerably because of the establishment of a fish meal factory at Mornington. Incidentally almost all the herrings taken from area VIIa are taken from that portion which is north of a line drawn from Dublin to Liverpool.