5.4 Employment

The seafood industry plays a vital role in the sustainable economic viability of many coastal communities across Ireland. The sector provides over 15,000 direct and indirect jobs with 8,218 employed directly in fisheries, aquaculture and processing and a further 7,155 in downstream employment in ancillary and support sectors. According to BIM, numbers employed by the sector have fallen in 2022 but despite this reduction, employment remains high in coastal regions, with the seafood industry accounting for 14% of coastal employment in Donegal, 7% in the north-west region, 6% on the south-western and southern coasts and 6% in Galway-Clare. The seafood industry, as a whole, accounted for 6% of total coastal employment, generating significant socioeconomic value in these areas.

Table 5.2 Employment in the Seafood Industry, 2021 and 2022

Country 2021 2022
	Full Time	Part Time	Total	Full Time	Part Time	Total
Fisheries	2,353		2,848	2,600		2,774
		495			174
Aquaculture	1,111	873	1,984	1,149	870	2,019
Processing	2,973	900	3,873	2,655	770	3,425
Ancillary			7,942			7,155
Total			16,647			15,373

Source: BIM

Figure 5.2: The Breakdown of Employment by Region

North 1	4% West 7% North East 3% % South East 4% % South 6%
North
West 6
South West 6

Source: BIM The Business of Seafood Report 2022

Figure from page 180