Socio-Economic Valuation of Marine Recreational Fishing in Ireland

Marine recreational fishing (MRF) plays an important role in supporting Ireland’s coastal communities, contributing to local economies through tourism and providing valuable recreational and sporting opportunities. Despite its significance, there is a lack of recent, comprehensive data on the socio-economic value of the sector, both nationally and across different regions. This project, led by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) in partnership with the Marine Institute (MI), seeks to address this gap by delivering a detailed assessment of the sector’s Total Economic Contribution (TEC), Economic Impact (EI), and overall Valuation. MRF in this context includes all commonly targeted angling species, as well as the Tuna CHART catch-and-release bluefin tuna fishery.

The study will build on existing datasets from IFI programmes, including the Irish Marine Recreational Survey (IMREC) and Tuna CHART. Tuna CHART is a collaborative initiative involving IFI, MI, the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority. It gathers biometric and fishing effort data on Atlantic bluefin tuna in Irish waters, contributing to international stock assessments carried out by ICCAT. In addition, this project will generate new socio-economic data, with a particular focus on charter vessel angling, a segment that has not been fully captured in previous assessments.

Using internationally recognised economic methodologies, the project will produce robust and policy-relevant outputs to support national and EU reporting, inform sustainable fisheries management, and contribute to marine spatial planning. It will develop spatially explicit metrics to quantify the economic contribution of different angling sectors, including shore, small boat, and charter fisheries, while accounting for geographic variation. The study will also provide species-specific estimates for key groups such as elasmobranchs, bony fish, and Atlantic bluefin tuna, alongside a regional analysis of Tuna CHART activity across areas such as Donegal Bay, the West Coast, the Southwest, and the South Coast.

Further work will include a comparison of the economic value of catch-and-release bluefin tuna versus commercially harvested tuna, as well as a qualitative assessment of the social and cultural importance of the sector. The project will also explore future economic potential under different scenarios, such as increases in fleet capacity or extended fishing seasons. Overall, this research will deliver a comprehensive and evidence-based understanding of the socio-economic value of marine recreational fishing in Ireland, while contributing to wider scientific initiatives, including the TUINNIN-IN project led by IFI and the Marine Institute.