The established Blue Economy sectors in Ireland directly employ 65.5 thousand people and generate approx. €3.1 billion in GVA (2022). While employing 2.6% of the national workforce, the Irish Blue Economy represents a limited share of the national economy, contributing 0.6% to the national GVA.
The relative size and share of employment in the Irish Blue Economy has been steadily increasing between 2009 (43 thousand people) and 2017 (71 thousand people). The Irish Blue Economy workforce suffered a 58% decline between 2019 and 2021 (down to fewer than 30 thousand people), mainly because of the economic contraction triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. It then bounced back in 2022, mainly thanks to a strong recovery in Coastal tourism, where jobs registered a year-on-year 425% increase.
In terms of GVA, Ireland’s pre-pandemic Blue Economy was increasing steadily from €1.7 billion in 2009 to €3.1 billion in 2018. Then, the health crisis hit the Blue Economy hard, imposing a 38% contraction in GVA between 2019 and 2020, bringing it to its lowest level since 2010. After a marginal recovery in 2021, GVA registered a strong increase in 2022 (+77%). In relative terms, the share of the Blue Economy GVA to the national economy decreased from 1.2% in the 2011-2014 period to 0.6% in 2022.
The largest Blue Economy sector in Ireland is Coastal tourism, accounting for nearly 55% of the country’s Blue Economy GVA and 71% of its workforce. Two other sectors make up for more than one third of the national Blue Economy GVA, namely Living resources and Maritime transport (35% in total), followed by Port activities with another 7% of GVA. In terms of employment, Living resources is the second largest sector after Coastal tourism, occupying nearly 22% of the Blue Economy workforce of the country. Next is the Port activities sector, which employs 4% of the national Blue Economy workforce.
In the EU, Ireland’s Blue Economy ranks 13th in terms of employment and 14th in terms of GVA.
Ireland has a coastline of 1 448 km. The country's main ports primarily handle bulk cargo, roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) traffic, and general cargo. The largest national ports with container-handling facilities include Dublin Port, handling approx. 24.6 million tonnes of goods per year (2023 data), the Port of Cork (8.5 million tonnes), and the port of Limerick (8.2 million tonnes). The main important fishing ports are Killybegs, Castletownbere, Dunmore East, Union Hall, Ros A Mhil, Kilmore Quay and Greencastle.
In terms of passengers, the largest passenger ports in Ireland primarily cater to ferry services, connecting the country with the United Kingdom and mainland Europe. Some of the prominent passenger ports in Ireland include Dublin Port (with more than 1.7 million passengers embarking and disembarking in each year), Rosslare Harbour (634 000 passengers in 2023) and the Port of Cork (305 000 passengers).
Several organisations are monitoring the Irish Blue Economy at the national level, as illustrated below:
The Marine Institute is the State agency responsible for marine research, technology development and innovation in Ireland. It provides scientific and technical advice to Government to help inform policy and to support the sustainable development of Ireland’s marine resource. It publishes reports on Ireland’s Ocean Economy as well as information on marine research, oceanography, marine resource management, and sustainable development of Ireland's marine resources.
The Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) is the Irish government office which provides support to national and international maritime businesses in Ireland. It is the aim of the IMDO to be the focal point for maritime business in Ireland. The IMDO provides government and industry with a range of information and reporting across the sector and works with international businesses to help them set-up or expand in Ireland. The IMDO is also Ireland’s designated Shortsea Shipping Agency and provides independent advice and guidance on EU funding initiatives.
Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) is the Irish Sea Fisheries Board, responsible for the development of the Irish seafood industry. It provides information on sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, and seafood processing, as well as industry insights and market trends related to the blue economy.
Other national sources of information on the Irish Blue Economy are:
- University of Galway. Socio-Economic Marine Research Unit. Ireland’s Ocean Economy – June 2019.
- Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
- Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).
Currently, there are several opportunities to acquire Blue Economy education and skills within the country, for example thought the BSc and MSc programmes in Marine Biology, Coastal & Marine Environments, Maritime Law, Renewable Energy in the Marine Environment, or Marine Sciences offered by the University of Galway, the University College of Cork, and the National University of Ireland.
Marine Strategy Framework Directive: Economic and Social Analysis (ESA)
As part of the MSFD reporting obligations, Member States must provide an Economic and Social Analysis of the blue economy. This analysis is integrated into the broader reporting package under Articles 8, 9, and 10, which includes:
- The status of marine waters;
- The determination of GES;
- Environmental targets to achieve GES.
The Economic and Social Analysis (ESA) report for the 2024–2029 cycle is presented below in PDF format. This document is available in English translation, with the original language included where applicable.
The full reports submitted under Articles 8, 9, and 10 are available here: MSFD Reporting Portal.
For more information on the implementation of the MSFD, visit the European Commission’s MSFD page.
This interactive dashboard presents the evolution of the blue economy for Ireland. It is designed to provide insights into key economic indicators over time.
At the top of the dashboard, there is a drop-down menu that allows users to select one of the following data categories:
- Employment: Number of jobs and workforce trends in the blue economy sectors.
- Gross Value Added (GVA): The contribution of the blue economy to the national economy.
- Turnover and Gross Profit: Revenue and profitability metrics of blue economy industries.
- Investment: Capital investment levels in blue economy sectors.
Once a category is selected, the main panel updates to display relevant visualisations, such as line charts or bar graphs, showing trends over time. These visualisations are accompanied by labels, legends, and tooltips to ensure clarity and accessibility.
The dashboard is navigable via keyboard and compatible with screen readers. All interactive elements are clearly labeled, and data visualisations include alternative text descriptions summarising key insights.