asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry the number of persons employed in sea fishing in each of the past three years (a) skippers and (b) members of fishing crews; and the number of sea-fishing vessels with engines.
Written Answers. - Sea-fishing Statistics.
350.
The information available on the numbers of persons engaged in commercial sea fishing does not distinguish between skippers of vessels and crew members. The vast majority of Irish sea-fishing vessels are skipper-owned.
During 1978 the total number of fishermen was 8,620 (including 5,805 part-time fishermen). During 1979 there were 8,711 fishermen (including 5,412 part-time).
The number of vessels engaged in fishing during 1978 was 2,919 of which 1,460 had inboard engines and most of the remainder had outboard engines. During 1979 there were 2,965 fishing vessels of which 1,539 had inboard engines and most of the remainder had outboard engines. The figures for 1980 are not yet available.