Something in the water: Third warm-water species pops up off Kerry coast

Marine biologist and director of Dingle OceanWorld Kevin Flannery with some of the 100 tonnes of sardines that were landed in Dingle recently. Picture: Domnick Walsh

As millions of sardines become the latest Mediterranean species to arrive in Irish waters in unprecedented numbers, a leading marine biologist is calling on the State to examine the phenomenon.

In recent days, over 100 tonnes of sardines were landed in Dingle Harbour by the Fiona KIII and The Ocean Venture II.

It comes in the wake of reports of warm water octopuses on the south coast and a record-breaking haul of anchovies in Kerry in the past few weeks – all species normally found off southern Europe.

The director of Dingle OceanWorld Kevin Flannery said he was astounded by the sheer volumes of warm-water fish turning up on the Kerry coast, “This is incredible,” he said, “This could change the whole ambit of fishing."

"It's fascinating, you have these Mediterranean warm-water species arriving in huge volumes in Irish waters.

They would normally be down in the north and west of Spain and in Portugal. If these are moving in the temperature is right for them and the conditions are right for them.

“We’ve had three specific species that could be commercially developed since Christmas which are anchovies, sardines and octopus.

“It’s showing what is in our waters and what climate change is making.

We've lost 25% of catches to the British in Brexit. But now all of a sudden, we have huge volumes of these non-quota species in inshore Irish waters. They are quota free because they are so short-lived.

“I have to call on the State agencies, and the Department of the Marine to take action because there is a resource and a potential.”

 He said fishermen off the Cornish coast in England have been cashing in on the arrival of the warm water species in recent years.

He said: “I was watching a programme last Monday night on BBC of 15 vessels working in Newlyn in [Cornwall] have developed a huge full-time sardine fishery over the last five or six years.

Kevin Flannery: 'I can't see why we can’t look at the potential of anchovies and sardines and develop a fishery.' Picture: Domnick Walsh 

“When they are catching anchovies, they are getting up to £2000 a tonne.” He said a record-breaking haul of anchovies caught in Kerry in recent weeks only made a fraction of the price because markets haven’t been developed for the warm-water species.

“I mean, there were over 6,000 tonnes of anchovies landed yet they were sent for fishmeal.” He said the marine agencies in Ireland need to develop the potential of the shoals upon shoals of Spanish fish arriving on our coasts.

“Bord Bia have to look at the markets, BIM have to look at what vessels can fish them, and the Marine Institute have to look at the potential.

“We need to look at what stock of them is there, how long will it last, where are they spawning and what’s the market for them.

This isn’t a vagrant fish, a weird and wonderful fish, this is a potential, it is a resource, this is hundreds and thousands of tonnes and it is not being managed.”

 He said countries like Iceland are developing new fisheries.

“Iceland took it upon themselves when they found there was mackerel coming in there and they are taking over 100,000 tonnes per year.

“I can't see why we can’t look at the potential of anchovies and sardines and develop a fishery.

“For 40 years I’ve been doing this and now we have this, it’s a huge resource and it has to be managed sustainably.”