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Fisheries and Aquatic Ecosystems

The Fisheries and Aquatics Ecosytems Branch (FAEB) supports four programmes providing research, monitoring and technology transfer in support of evidence-based sustainable management of freshwater and marine resources in Northern Ireland.

FAEB’s scientific work on marine ecosystem health is currently being expanded in the context of a wider requirement to co-ordinate marine science at UK level. The programmes within branch contribute to assessment of marine fisheries stocks, designation, monitoring and management of marine protected areas and assessment of trends in marine environmental change throughout the water column and seabed. FAEB science supports emerging areas of focus in catchment modelling and developing offshore renewable energy.

FAEB’s Freshwater Fisheries programme maintains a database of robust scientific evidence in support of international reporting on the status of salmon stocks and the European eel recovery plan. It is developing strategies for evidence-based sustainable management and exploitation of recreational and commercial fisheries resources in inland waters, with a particular focus on the large lake systems of Loughs Neagh and Erne.

Key areas include:

  • Freshwater fisheries
  • Marine ecology
  • Marine fisheries
  • Oceanography and limnology
  • Research vessel and engineering

AFBI’s customer base is wide, with particularly strong links to Cefas (England), The Marine Directorate of the Scottish Government, Scottish Association for Marine Science, and Marine Institute (Ireland).

Read our Privacy Notice to learn more about how the Fisheries and Aquatic Ecosystems Branch handles your personal information in the course of its duties.

 

Research & Development

  • 18th International Conference on Diseases of Fish and Shellfish
  • AFBI begin Brown Crab Tagging Study
  • AFBI Celebrating World Rivers Day 2022

Specialist Advice

  • Coastal monitoring
  • Coastal science
  • Freshwater fisheries

Specialist Facilities

  • Dredge monitoring
  • Fish disease unit
  • Policies for sustainable freshwater fisheries management

Diagnostic & Analytical

  • Fish ageing
  • Fish disease services
  • Fish population genetics

Related to Fisheries and Aquatic Ecosystems

Publications

  • Advice Sheets 2025

    Published 19 March 2025
  • Science Impacts Publications

    Published 03 October 2024
See all publications in this topic

Most recent news items

AFBI Showcases the impact of its Science at this year’s Balmoral Show

Published 07 May 2025

AFBI Hillsborough host AERA committee

Published 27 March 2025

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