Fisheries Science Services (FSS) carries out the annual Irish Groundfish Survey (IGFS) in the fourth quarter of each year as part of a larger coordinated survey effort with our EU neighbours (France to the south; and the UK to the north).
Station Positions Carried out During the Irish Groundfish Survey 2005
Purpose of Survey
The primary goal of the groundfish survey is to develop estimates of juvenile abundance for important species. Measurements of the abundance of juvenile fish are a critical measure of the health of a stock, serving as an annual indication of recruitment (the number of newly spawned fish which enter the population each year) success or failure. Most importantly, they allow forecasting of future commercial abundance.
The groundfish survey also provides data on the distribution and biology of commercial and non-commercial species of ecological interest, as well as hydrographic and environmental observations. When these data are combined with annual recruitment indices they can help identify the possible causes driving year-class success or failure, and allow us to see long-term changes in populations that may have been caused by fishing, pollution, or climate change.