Chapter I – Fisheries SWOT
STRENGTHS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Proximity to key fishing grounds.
Quality of infrastructure at key ports.
Increased exploitation of certain stocks
at MSY.
Strong Marine Science Capacity
Integration of environmental and
fisheries science in fisheries
management.
Relationship with stakeholders for TAC
species (RAC’s & IFSRP).
Growing reputation of Irish seafood.
Competitive modern fleet.
Knowledgeable/experienced workforce.
WEAKNESSES
10. Overcapacity in some fleet segments.
11. High levels of discards in some fisheries
12. Limited management regime for inshore
stocks.
13. Lack of national representation of inshore
fishermen.
14. Fragmentation and lack of commercial
scale.
15. Opportunistic rather than market led fishing
sector.
16. Infrastructure at small/inshore ports
17. Lack of succession planning and new
entrants
18. Poor history in 3rd country Fisheries.
OPPORTUNITIES
THREATS
19. Global demand for seafood is increasing
20. Stock recovery through CFP reform
21. Stock recovery through continued
development of local management
plans.
22. Potential of inshore stocks
23. Under-exploited domestic market.
24. Exploit 3rd country fisheries.
25. Improved selective gear technologies
26. On-board quality and Environmental
Management Systems
27. Use of Financial Instruments to leverage
Resources
28. Increased co-operation between
fishermen & scientists
29. Health & Safety at sea.
30. Increases in Fuel Prices
31. Continued poor recovery of some key stocks
in Irish Sea.
32. Quota restrictions & reduced days at sea
33. Spatial and temporal restrictions on fishing
to protect Natura 2000 designated species
and habitats.
34. Constrained access to private finance.
35. Constrained exchequer funding.
36. Impacts of climate change on distribution of
stocks and recruitment
37. Risk of stock decline in unmanaged inshore
fisheries.
38. Loss of biodiversity.
Chapter II – Aquaculture SWOT
STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
39. Nutrient rich waters
40. Lower temperature profile which reduces the
risk of mortality.
41. Sheltered bays suitable for aquaculture
production
42. Environmentally sustainable production
techniques.
43. Global recognition as a leading producer of
organic species.
44. Established production capabilities.
45. Experienced operators with proven track
record.
46. Technically advanced systems
47. Delays in licensing process.
48. Insufficient bay level management.
49. Insufficient investment in R&D.
50. Insufficient product availability to meet market
demand.
51. Limited business planning from smaller
operations.
52. Lack of a co-ordinated route to market approach.
53. Fragmentation within certain sectors
54. Lack of private investment.
55. Overdependence on intermediaries to access
markets.
56. Lack of Irish packaging/distribution presence on
mainland Europe.
57. Overdependence on foreign seed supplies for
oysters.
58. Lack of support services and ancillary industries
OPPORTUNITIES
THREATS
59. Significant employment potential
60. Significant Export potential
61. Global demand for high- quality seafood
62. Off-shore aquaculture sites
63. Cost / efficiency benefits from consolidation
64. Underutilised aquaculture sites.
65. Land and sea based nursery sites.
66. Market gaps (e.g. oysters)
67. Development of oyster hatcheries.
68. Novel species and niche products.
69. Use of Financial Instruments to leverage
Resources
70. Fish diseases and parasites.
71. Co-existence with other marine activities.
72. Stakeholder opposition to industry.
73. Natural occurring events such as algal blooms
and diseases such as AGD.
74. Spatial restrictions on aquaculture activities to
protect Natura 2000 designated species and
habitats.
75. Increased competition from companies outside
the EU.
76. Competition in the organic salmon sector.
77. Further revisions of regulatory limits for
biotoxins.
78. Lack of access to finance.
79. Constrained exchequer funding.
80. Climate change.
Chapter III – Sustainable Development of Fisheries Areas SWOT
STRENGTHS
81. Experienced gained through FLAGs and
strategy development.
82. Abundance of natural assets
83. Strong cultural heritage
84. Quality of infrastructure in key fishing ports.
85. Cohesive social structure
86. Proximity to rich fishing grounds.
87. Co-operation with LEADER LAG’s.
88. Experienced gained by members of National
Implementation Board (NIB) network.
WEAKNESSES
89. High unemployment.
90. Low levels of entrepreneurship.
91. Underuse of marine resource.
92. Narrow fisheries focus skills base.
93. Infrastructure not designed for marine tourism.
94. Traditional Thinking.
95. Resistance to innovation and diversification.
96. Lack of organised representation of coastal
communities.
97. Fishing boat licenses restrict fishermen from
engaging in marine tourism activities.
OPPORTUNITIES
THREATS
98. Promotion of marine leisure activities.
99. Promotion of marine tourism/ eco-tourism
activities
100. Diversification of local economies
101. Promotion of local artisanal products
102. Marine spatial planning/ICZM
103. Growth of new off-shore enterprises
104. Use of Financial Instruments to leverage
Resources
105. Co-operation with other FLAG’s within EU.
106. Further support through other European
Structural Investment Funds (ESIF)
107. Migration and emigration
108. Lack of finance for investment in
coastal/marine infrastructure.
109. Limited regulation of marine leisure & ecotourism activities could damage natural assets
110. Local opposition/lack of agreement to
proposals that disturb status quo
111. Loss of traditions and culture associated with
fishing.
Chapter IV– Marketing & Processing SWOT
STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
112. Strong private investment from bigger
companies.
113. Government commitment & support.
114. Sector scaling-up
115. New Joint Venture Companies being
formed.
116. "Blue-Green" Seafood raw material brand
provenance.
117. New product development supports from
BIM Seafood Development Centre.
118. Pioneer in organic production.
119. Strong promotional network provided by
Bord Bia.
120. Proximity to rich fishing grounds.
OPPORTUNITIES
131. Significant employment potential
132. Significant export potential
133. Build up scale and efficiency
134. Increase domestic consumption.
135. Exploit the medicinal properties of
seafood products
136. Development of marine/seafood based
nutraceuticals
137. New markets in key seafood categories.
138. Market potential in Asia.
139. Increased raw material supply from offshore aquaculture sites
140. Development of new processing
technologies
141. Development of strategic alliances with
external route to market partners.
142. Promotion of Green Seafood programmes
143. Use of Financial Instruments to leverage
Resources
121. Lack of raw material: farmed and wild
122. Commodity focus - limited value adding.
123. Lack of joined-up R&D.
124. Family ownership structures not "investment
ready".
125. Access to finance for small to micro SME’s.
126. Marketing skills & limited "in market"
resources.
127. Limited capacity of SMEs to attract
graduates.
128. Lack of organisational route to market
129. Time/Distance to market.
130. Fragmentation and lack of scale in sector.
THREATS
144. Failure to scale up sustainably.
145. Cheaper costs associated with non-EU
countries
146. Impacts of climate change.
147. Seafood product safety failures.
148. Continued recession in EU.
149. Competitiveness in organic salmon sector.
Chapter V– Control & Enforcement SWOT
STRENGTHS
150. Single Control Authority
151. Effective sea inspection and air
surveillance regime
152. Effective shore-based inspection regime
153. Good inter-agency co-operation.
154. Use of technology for control &
enforcement activities
155. Control Regulation
OPPORTUNITIES
161. Development of Common Information
Sharing Environment (CISE).
162. Improve interaction with EU member
states to encourage implementation of an
effective shore-based inspection regime.
163. Development of a culture of compliance
throughout the EU.
164. Further development of ICT tools to
enhance fisheries protection.
165. Implementation of Regionalisation.
WEAKNESSES
156. Age of the Naval Service & Air Corps Fleet.
157. Poor information sharing between member
states.
158. Ability to establish common compliance
levels with all Control requirements.
159. Failure to implement level playing pitch
within the EU.
160. Limited reporting requirements for inshore
fleet.
THREATS
166.
Resource constraints
 reduction in Naval Service and Air Corps
patrols.
 Reduction in SFPA shore-based
inspections.
 Coping with expansion of EU control
regime.
167. EU Legal action due to non-compliance.
168. Inconsistent implementation of IUU
Regulation by Member States.
169. Delay in full economic recovery.
Chapter VI– Data Collection SWOT
STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
170. State of the art fisheries laboratory
infrastructure in Galway, Newport and fishing
ports and two specifically design Fisheries
Research vessels.
171. Excellent Industry and national contacts
built through the observer and sampling
programmes
172. Expert Staff fully trained in existing data
collection protocols and procedures, data
management, assurance and analysis.
173. Good working relationship with the EU
Commission, ICES and institutes in other EU
countries
174. Proven track record in fisheries and
marine data collection, data management
and data provision.
OPPORTUNITIES
175. Access to required good economic data is
problematic
176. Reliance on the goodwill of vessel owners,
crews and wider fishing industry.
177. Data on inshore fisheries needs
improvement.
178. Poor integration of the control regulation
and the data collection regulation and data
access at an international level.
179. ”Data limited assessments” for key species
undermines credibility and perception of DC
programmes.
180. Compliance with the revised DCF.
181. Data provision for fisheries through new
technologies e.g. inshore vessels & fully
documented fisheries
182. Improved data sharing and integration
through the development of Regional
Databases
183. Improved co-operation with other
member states and new data uses through
regionalisation and new management plans.
184. Data provision for integrated assessment
of fisheries interactions with EU directives.
185. Integration of control regulation and data
collection regulation.
186. Budget flexibility in line with flexible revised
DCF evolving requirements.
187. Lack of coherence and clarity on
implementation of policy at EU DG level on data
integration.
188. Resource constraint to implement new
requirements of the CFP.
189. Industry’s response to taking scientific
observers in the context of a commercial spp
discard ban.
THREATS