AFBI Launch Northern Ireland Sea Angling Survey

In 2007 a review of inshore fisheries in Northern Ireland highlighted the fact that “the social and economic contribution of sea angling to Northern Ireland is not known and as a result, there is a lack of government support and investment in this sector. There is also a scarcity of data on sea angling in Northern Ireland”.

The Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) is currently carrying out a survey on sea angling around our coasts, as part of the Northern Ireland Inshore Fisheries project which is funded by the European Fisheries Fund, administered through the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD).

AFBI has released this survey with the aim of improving our knowledge of sea angling in Northern Ireland, through direct engagement with the sea angling community in Northern Ireland.  Whilst previous studies have examined the socio-economic benefits of sea angling, this survey provides a unique opportunity for individual sea anglers to have their say on what matters the most to them.
 
By providing us with information on your fishing trips, such as where you fish, what you catch, what you spend and your perceptions of how good (or bad) angling is in Northern Ireland, we can gain a full understanding of the importance of angling around our coast. The information you provide us with will be used to:

• calculate the economic contribution of sea angling to the Northern Ireland economy;
• provide information on the stocks which are being fished;
• meet the requirements under EU legislation for improved data collection on recreational fishing;
• provide valuable information which can be used during marine decision making so that sea angling is not ignored;
• examine ways to improve sea angling in Northern Ireland;
• determine the level of support for a Northern Ireland fish tagging scheme.

We encourage all sea anglers to take part in the survey, everyone from those who fish once or twice a year to those who fish major competitions.
 
The survey should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete and is completely anonymous, with the information collected only to be used for the purpose set out – sustainable sea angling for the future.
 
You can become involved in the survey by completing a questionnaire online at www.afbini.gov.uk/fisheriessurvey.

Please visit http://www.afbini.gov.uk/index/services/services-specialist-advice/coastal-science/inshore-fisheries/services-inshore-fisheries-sea-angling.htm  for more information.