strangfordlough.org Fishing Heritage of Portavogie, Ardglass & Kilkeel 3 Copeland Islands A2 Belfast K y l e Lough s to n e R d A2 d W R h d i y n A48 R n e e n y y e o W h H g m i n au y d ll i l U i l l K l p m a p i B e l r l G R r a d n s h a Ho R lyw d Contents A21 Pushing the boat out o o d R d d R y e d b R b n A20 A r u b o A22 d W R 5 The local catch Fishing has been a major industry in County K n i r l A20 b u r b d i R g g h n e i s t n n 6 Improved fishing gear R a Down for many years. Three ports - Kilkeel, n t Steward R d d u M C A55 M d a R C rd r y b e Rd Dun 7 Changing fisheries om ove Portavogie and Ardglass - remain at the C r Rd m centre of the fishing industry today. Their 8 Navigating change Stu p Rd B a ll A2 ydrai Chapel n R communities revolve around the sea. Local 9 Weather & hidden danger d Island A23 d R T rry u 10 People’s stories: past & present a l Lisburn l people and their traditions have strong ties Carrydu u y Q n A2 a k i l 6 l A3 R Rd 13 Fishing moves forward d e to the water. ag A7 Ardm on M1 il s d M1 M1 A22 lan Mahee Par R R ia d Island r d 78 to R B1 Strangford ic 14 Day in the life of a trawler crew V h g A21 u A2 A20 o Lough r o While family bonds have endured across b s B6 a A3 A e Lurgan 16 Day out at the harbour y 4 l 9 Conley l Hillsborough A24 a Island Blac B the generations, the fishing industry has ksta Bog Rd Rd 18 Coasting along Islandmore Q u A a r 4 A3 t Portavogie e A1 R r changed with great purpose over time, A21 i d R B6B n R d 19 Eating sustainable fish g h Craigavon d g u la f e e g r ly i l n a Cl B working towards a sustainable future that a y R d A2 A7 R 3 20 Spotting local wildlife BB7 d A B A 7 2 2 respects9 the local marine environment. 6 Island d Taggart R 22 FishingB2 fables e A A l t Portadown 2 s a 4 c w B7 e 24 Emergencies & welfare N B In Northern Ireland, there are now over 7 Rd Hill A d llace 5 R Wa Dromore 0 y A3 d 7 d B a Portaferry 350 licensed vessels fishing forA seafood, A c 50 S 2 Salt Strangford 7 26 The Ports: An introduction tone Rd Island Gilford A Dromara rs d re Gores R 2 B G ra and the industry employs over 1,000 full- 2 y B Castle Island a 51 6 r M A Island H 28 Portavogie The Spa a Armagh B l 3 2 A25 l 5 R Tandragee B d d and part-time fishermen. Around £20 d s R R k Banbridge ric y at 32 Ardglass A e Rd t P b e 2 Mearn S 28 10 B7B 4 b A B A 51 million worth of fish andA shellfish isA landed h 2 c d 7 n R I d 36 Kilkeel n R t lly w r Scarva Ba ho o rnan u 3 B3 R t o d h C A annually into Northern Ireland. Some d s c p r o R A Downpatrick B h 2 u is h d 8 r C a l l B i seafood caught by the local fleet is landed o B K Loughbrickland n e 1 L B110 ca is s m Katesbridge t o 9 5 re d le R 2 7 R B outsideA of Northern Ireland, into the UK, 1 d 1 A5 B 7 Guns Markethill 0 6 d A2 R Island A w 2 e 8 r Republic of Ireland, and as far away as C d 7 R B A1 A25 a A2 en B3 e C Gl R d il o Norway and Denmark, bringing the total 3 Ard m m Dundrum o n Rd s g B d i R R l y 2 d d O ar ll value of landings from Northern Irish fishing 5 rch a B Castlewellan Ardglass 800 d Tyrella t R B1B in vessels to around £60 million. A o P 5 0 B 1 Kilcoo 3 A27 Rathfriland 3 2 A25 Bryansford B A 1 3 4 Dundrum Bay A25 B 80 A28 2 B1 5 B8 A29 B7B Newcastle Hilltown B Newtownhamilton Bessbrook 27 Belfast B8B8 A2 5 Belleek 5 Camlough A2 Mayobridge B8 Newry 7 B7B A 2 9 B30 Cullyhanna 2 A 4 5 Dublin 3 A1 2 1 B B Meigh 3 Warrenpoint 1 1 Mullaghbane B Annalong te 35 B2 u 1 o 7 R B l a st Rostrevor oa Creggan C 0 A e B3 2 rn 9 ou Forkhill Omeath M Ballymartin Killowen A2 Crossmaglen A 37 1 N Carlingford Lough Kilkeel M1 Carlingford Map based upon Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland’s data with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, © Crown Copyright Dundalk and database rights NIMA ES&LA205.2 Fishing Heritage of Portavogie, Ardglass & Kilkeel 5 Strictly speaking it’s not a Shellfish like scallops, Buyers work all three prawn at all, but a type of mussels, crab and lobster Northern Ireland ports, and lobster. However, for the also feature in the local list. both Kilkeel and Portavogie purposes of this booklet, Aquaculture is a growing host regular auctions. langoustines are simply industry in the area, both in However, fishermen sell referred to as prawns. the Irish Sea and Strangford many locally caught prawns Lough. The tradition of under contract, rather than Incredibly, many years ago, pot-fishing endures too. auctioning them. fishermen threw prawns back Fishermen use potting creels into the sea, viewing them as Fishing also supports to catch crab, lobster and a useless by-product of the other industries, including prawn. Winkle picking is main fish catch. processing. Pelagic fish go to common in Ardglass, Kilkeel the local factory to be frozen, Gourmets now consider local and Tyrella, with workers then buyers export many prawns an upmarket delicacy. harvesting shellfish by hand. of them to the Baltic States, As a result, County Down Some of the local catch is China and the Far East. shellfish is in demand around seasonal. The mackerel the world. Consumers are The volume of the catch season is about three weeks also becoming increasingly depends on vessel size as long and the herring season aware of the health benefits well as commercial quotas. is also relatively short. of eating seafood. It might Of course, like any other surprise natives that, in Changes in market demands industry, fishing operates a French supermarket or and available technology, within the usual framework Spanish restaurant, Northern such as the move from salting of demand and supply. The Irish seafood takes pride of to freezing, also caused huge technological advances that place on the counter or menu. changes to the make-up of created a greater supply of the local catch. fish and prawns also meant Large trawlers do still that often prices dropped. The local catch catch pelagic fish in these The main prawn season waters. Pelagic fish are free- runs from the end of June to Changing diesel prices also swimming from the top to the September, although the have a huge effect on fishing Prawns make up the largest proportion of bottom of the water column, species is caught all year costs. An average prawn the local catch and have done for some time. but are mainly found mid- round. This is a busy time for trawler uses 2,000 litres of Specifically, local fishermen catchNephrops water. They include mackerel prawn trawlers, involving diesel in a typical week, so norvegicus, also known as the Dublin Bay and herring. weeks of intensive labour. it’s easy to see how rising fuel Prawn, langoustine, Norway lobster or scampi. prices affect the bottom line. Demersal fish are also still Dublin Bay Prawn is made up important species for local of two products - the whole The ritual of the diesel lorries fisheries, although the prawn fish and the tail. Local prawn pulling into harbour once makes up the biggest share tails are mainly sold to the a week to refuel the boats of the catch. Demersal fish UK scampi market, while signifies a major variable cost are bottom-dwelling, like whole prawns are exported for the fishing industry. cod, haddock, monkfish, to France, Italy, Spain and the A catch of edible crabs hake, plaice, brill and whiting. Middle East. Fishing Heritage of Portavogie, Ardglass & Kilkeel 7 Fishing gear Changing improvements fisheries Boats and nets are thought Twin and quad rigs can tow The net’s rope that is laid The original fishing boats Early boats also set long This method was highly of as the hardware of the two or four nets at one time.