Chapter I – Fisheries SWOT
STRENGTHS / WEAKNESSES
  1. Proximity to key fishing grounds.
  2. Quality of infrastructure at key ports.
  3. More stocks exploited at MSY.
  4. Strong Marine Science Capacity
  5. Integration of environmental and fisheries science in fisheries management.
  6. Relationship with stakeholders for TAC species (RAC’s & IFSRP).
  7. Growing reputation of Irish seafood.
  8. Competitive modern fleet.
  9. Highly skilled workforce.
  10. Improved road network and reduced time to market.
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  1. Overcapacity in some fleet segments.
  2. High levels of discards
  3. Limited management regime for inshore stocks.
  4. Lack of national representation of inshore fishermen.
  5. Fragmentation and lack of commercial scale.
  6. Opportunistic rather than market led fishing sector.
  7. Infrastructure at small/inshore ports
  8. Lack of succession planning and new entrants
  9. Poor history in 3rd country Fisheries.

OPPORTUNITIES / THREATS
  1. Global demand for seafood is increasing
  2. Stock recovery through CFP reform
  3. Stock recovery through continued development of local management plans.
  4. Untapped potential of inshore stocks
  5. Under-exploited domestic market.
  6. Exploit 3rdcountry fisheries.
  7. Improved selective gear technologies
  8. On-board quality and Environmental Management Systems
  9. Use of Financial Instruments to leverage Resources
  10. CMO and new role for Producer Organisations in production and marketing plans
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  1. Health & Safety at sea.
  2. Increases inFuel Prices
  3. Continued poor recovery of key stocks in Irish Sea.
  4. Quota restrictions & reduced days at sea
  5. Restrictions on fishing arising from Natura 2000
  6. Constrained access to private finance.
  7. Constrained exchequer funding.
  8. Impacts of climate change on distribution of stocks and recruitment
  9. Risk of stock decline in unmanaged inshore fisheries.
  10. Loss of biodiversity.

Chapter II – Aquaculture SWOT
STRENGTHS / WEAKNESSES
  1. Nutrient rich waters
  2. Lower temperature profile which reduces the risk of mortality.
  3. Sheltered bays suitable for aquaculture production
  4. Environmentally sustainable production techniques.
  5. Global recognition as a leading producer of organic species.
  6. Established production capabilities.
  7. Experienced operators with proven track record.
  8. Technically advanced systems
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  1. Delays in licensing process.
  2. Insufficient bay level management.
  3. Insufficient investment in R&D.
  4. Insufficient product availability to meet market demand.
  5. Limited business planning from smaller operations.
  6. Lack of a co-ordinated route to market approach.
  7. Fragmentation within certain sectors
  8. Lack of private investment.
  9. Overdependence on intermediaries to access markets.
  10. Lack of Irish packaging/distribution presence on mainland Europe.
  11. Overdependence on foreign seed supplies for oysters.
  12. Lack of support services and ancillary industries

OPPORTUNITIES / THREATS
  1. Significant employment potential
  2. Significant Export potential
  3. Global demand for high- quality seafood
  4. Off-shore aquaculture sites (less environmentally sensitive)
  5. Cost / efficiency benefits from consolidation
  6. Underutilised aquaculture sites.
  7. Land and sea based nursery sites.
  8. Market gaps (e.g. oysters)
  9. Development of oyster hatcheries.
  10. Novel species and niche products.
  11. Use of Financial Instruments to leverage Resources
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  1. Fish diseases and parasites.
  2. Co-existence with other marine activities.
  3. Stakeholder opposition to industry.
  4. Natural occurring events such as algal blooms and diseases such as AGD.
  5. Restrictions on development arising from Natura 2000
  6. Competition from less regulated 3rd countries.
  7. Competition in the organic salmon sector.
  8. Regulatory limits for biotoxins.
  9. Lack of access to finance.
  10. Constrained exchequer funding.
  11. Climate change.

Chapter III – Sustainable Development of Fisheries Areas SWOT
STRENGTHS / WEAKNESSES
  1. FLAGs established and local strategies developed
  2. Abundance of natural assets
  3. Strong cultural heritage
  4. Quality of infrastructure in key fishing ports.
  5. Cohesive social structure
  6. Proximity to rich fishing grounds.
  7. Relationship with LEADER LAG’s.
  8. National Implementation Board (NIB) network for FLAGs in operation.
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  1. High unemployment.
  2. Low levels of entrepreneurship.
  3. Underuse of marine resource.
  4. Narrow fisheries focus skills base.
  5. Infrastructure not designed for marine tourism.
  6. Traditional Thinking.
  7. Resistance to innovation and diversification.
  8. Lack of organised representation of coastal communities.
  9. Fishing boat licenses restrict fishermen from engaging in marine tourism activities.

OPPORTUNITIES / THREATS
  1. Promotion of marine leisure activities.
  2. Promotion of marine tourism/ eco-tourism activities
  3. Diversificationof local economies
  4. Promotion of local artisanal products
  5. Marine spatial planning
  6. Growth of new off-shore enterprises
  7. Use of Financial Instruments to leverage Resources
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  1. Migration and emigration
  2. Lack of finance for investment in coastal/marine infrastructure.
  3. Limited regulation of marine leisure & eco-tourism activities could damage natural assets
  4. Local opposition/lack of agreement to proposals that disturb status quo
  5. Loss of traditions and culture associated with fishing.

Chapter IV– Marketing & Processing SWOT
STRENGTHS / WEAKNESSES
  1. Strong private investment from bigger companies.
  2. Government commitment & support.
  3. Sector scaling-up
  4. New Joint Venture Companies being formed.
  5. "Blue-Green" Seafood raw material brand provenance.
  6. New product development supports from BIM Seafood Development Centre.
  7. Pioneer in organic production.
  8. Strong promotional network provided by Bord Bia.
  9. Proximity to rich fishing grounds.
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  1. Lack of raw material: farmed and wild
  2. Commodity focus - limited value adding.
  3. Lack of joined-up R&D.
  4. Family ownership structures not "investment ready".
  5. Access to finance for small to micro SME’s.
  6. Marketing skills &limited "in market" resources.
  7. Limited capacity of SMEs to attract graduates.
  8. Lack of organisational route to market
  9. Time/Distance to market.
  10. Fragmentation and lack of scale in sector.

OPPORTUNITIES / THREATS
  1. Significant employment potential
  2. Significant export potential
  3. Build up scale and efficiency
  4. Increase domestic consumption.
  5. Exploit the medicinal properties of seafood products
  6. Development of marine/seafood based nutraceuticals
  7. New markets in key seafood categories.
  8. Market potential in Asia.
  9. CMO and new role for Producer Organisations in production and marketing plans
  10. Increased raw material supply from off-shore aquaculture sites
  11. Development of new processing technologies
  12. Development of strategic alliances with external route to market partners.
  13. Promotion of Green Seafood programmes
  14. Use of Financial Instruments to leverage Resources
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  1. Failure to scale up sustainably.
  2. Cheaper costs associated with 3rd countries
  3. Impacts of climate change.
  4. Seafood product safety failures.
  5. Continued recession in EU.
  6. Competitiveness in organic salmon sector.

Chapter V– Control & Enforcement SWOT
STRENGTHS / WEAKNESSES
  1. Single Control Authority
  2. Effective sea inspection and air surveillance regime
  3. Effective shore-based inspection regime
  4. Good inter-agency co-operation.
  5. Use of technology for control & enforcement activities
  6. Control Regulation
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  1. Age of the Naval Service & Air Corps Fleet.
  2. Poor information sharing between member states.
  3. Ability to establish common compliance levels with all Control requirements.
  4. Failure to implement level playing pitch within the EU.
  5. Reduction in resources available to Control Authorities.
  6. Continuing expansion of EU control regimes.

OPPORTUNITIES / THREATS
  1. Development of Common Information Sharing Environment (CISE).
  2. Improve interaction with EU member states to encourage implementation of an effective shore-based inspection regime.
  3. Development of a culture of compliance throughout the EU.
  4. Further development of ICT tools to enhance fisheries protection.
  5. Implementation of Regionalisation.
  6. Elimination of discards.
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  1. Reduction in Naval Service and Air Corps patrols.
  2. Reduction in SFPA shore-based inspections.
  3. EU Legal action due to non-compliance.
  4. Failure of other EU member states to implement regulations relating to IUU.
  5. Delay in full economic recovery.

Chapter VI– Data Collection SWOT
STRENGTHS / WEAKNESSES
  1. Good resources in all the major fisheries ports
  2. Excellent Industry contacts built through the observer and sampling programmes
  3. Expert Staff
  4. Good relationship with the EU Commission
  5. Good relationship with government departments, universities and institutes in other EU countries
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  1. Economic data
  2. Reliance on the goodwill of vessel owners and crews
  3. Data on inshore fisheries.
  4. Poor integration of the control regulation and the data collection regulation.
  5. Insufficient data available for key species.

OPPORTUNITIES / THREATS
  1. Compliance with the new DC-MAP.
  2. Data provision for inshore fisheries through new technologies
  3. Fully documented fisheries.
  4. Co-operation with other member states.
  5. Data provision for integrated assessment of fisheries interactions with EU directives.
  6. Integration of control regulation and data collection regulation.
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  1. Budget flexibility in line with flexible DCMAP evolving requirements.
  2. Lack of coherence on implementation of policy at EU DG level on data integration.
  3. Resource constraint to implement new requirements of the CFP.
  4. Industry’s response to taking observers in the context of a commercial spp discard ban.