What We Catch
Pelagic Fisheries
Our pelagic members and some of our polyvalent members target pelagic species including mackerel, horse mackerel, herring, blue whiting, boarfish and albacore tuna. These species swim up in the water column and are caught with mid-water trawls that are towed either by one or two vessels (pair trawling). The nets are large and the mouths of the nets have very large-sized mesh, as they are designed to herd the fish into the net. Pelagic trawls do not make contact with the bottom, and the vessels have an array of innovative equipment to help them only catch the target species.
Demersal Fisheries
KFO’s whitefish and polyvalent members target demersal species such as haddock, monkfish and whiting that live on or close to the seabed. These vessels use bottom trawls designed to match the seabed conditions. The nets do not dig into the seabed and are designed for minimal contact with the bottom. The meshes on the nets are designed to allow undersize and non-target fish to escape.
Shellfish Fisheries
Our shellfish members can be divided into inshore and offshore fleets. The offshore fleet is made up of large boats that target brown crab off the west and northwest of Ireland and in the North Sea. The inshore fleet is made up of boats less than 10m in length, which fish in inshore waters. These boats target brown crab, lobster, velvet crab and shrimp. The vessels fish with pots that have minimal impact on the seabed and little or no unwanted bycatch.
Interactive Map
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Improving efficiency and reducing impact

Gear Innovation
Our members regularly participate in gear trials with BIM, involving further gear selectivity testing that helps minimise bottom contact and reduce fuel consumption where possible.