Irish Fishing & Seafood Alliance

What Irish Fishing & Seafood Alliance does

Irish Fishing & Seafood Alliance (IFSA) is an independent non-profit advocacy organization founded in 2021 and based in Killybegs, Ireland, that represents the interests of Irish fishermen, fishing vessel owners, and seafood processors. The organization does not offer commercial products or services; its core activity consists of lobbying, public commentary, parliamentary testimony, and direct engagement with Irish and EU policymakers on fisheries policy, quota allocations, and the conduct of the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA) and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM). It is led by Chairman Cormac Burke, who serves as the principal author and spokesperson.

IFSA's substantive agenda centers on criticizing what it characterizes as adverse EU quota allocations (estimated by the organization at up to €200 million in annual losses), enforcement disparities between Irish and foreign vessels in Irish waters, the loss of Hague Preferences, and the decline of Irish fish processing infrastructure from 200 premises in 2000 to fewer than 100 currently. It publishes regularly through its Wix-hosted website, a 2,500+ member Facebook group, Twitter, and a newsletter subscription channel, and engages directly with government through testimony at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs and open letters to ministers. In 2024, IFSA joined a coalition with five other Irish fishing producer organizations (KFO, IFPO, IS&WPO, IS&EPO, IFPEA) to coordinate demands for reform.

The organization operates as a member-supported advocacy entity typical of single-country industry associations, with no disclosed revenue, funding rounds, headcount, or commercial monetization. There is no proprietary technology stack, no products, and no evidence of M&A, investment, or expansion beyond domestic and EU-level policy engagement. Its competitive posture is oppositional to established state agencies rather than commercial.

Name

Irish Fishing & Seafood Alliance

Legal name

Irish Fishing & Seafood Alliance

Website

https://irishfishingseafoodalliance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Short description

IFSA is an independent Irish non-profit advocacy organization representing fishermen, vessel owners, and seafood processors. It lobbies Irish and EU policymakers on fisheries quotas, SFPA enforcement practices, Brexit-era fishing rights, and processing-sector decline.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Killybegs

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

IFSA is a non-profit industry advocacy organization that represents the interests of Irish fishermen, fishing vessel owners, and seafood processors at national and EU levels. It provides lobbying services, publishes critical commentary on EU fisheries policy, quota negotiations, and regulatory enforcement disparities, and engages directly with the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs. The organization also coordinates coalition efforts with other Irish fishing producer organizations including KFO, IFPO, IS&WPO, IS&EPO, and IFPEA.

Product overview

Irish Fishing & Seafood Alliance (IFSA) is an advocacy and lobbying organization focused on representing and defending the interests of the Irish fishing industry. The organization does not offer commercial products or services. Its activities include publishing news articles and opinion pieces on EU fisheries policy, quota negotiations, regulatory issues (particularly regarding the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority/SFPA), and advocating for Irish fishermen's rights at national and EU levels. The organization is led by Chairman Cormac Burke and serves as a collective voice for the Irish fishing and seafood sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• Seafood New Zealand: Industry body representing New Zealand's commercial fishers, quota holders, and processors on fisheries policy and quota management. Strong analog in role and structure to IFSA but operating in a different geographic and regulatory jurisdiction.

Emerging players

• Marine Stewardship Council (MSC): International NGO setting standards for sustainable fishing and seafood traceability. Adjacent in working with the commercial fishing industry on policy and market access, though its certification-driven advocacy stance often conflicts with industry positions IFSA defends.
• Oceana: International ocean advocacy organization that campaigns on overfishing and fisheries policy reform. Comparable advocacy and policy-influence model but focused on conservation outcomes rather than commercial fishing-industry protection; positioning is often contrary to IFSA's.

Broad incumbents

• National Fisheries Institute (NFI): US trade association representing the seafood and fishing industry on federal fisheries policy, regulatory, and trade matters. Functionally analogous advocacy mission; differs by geography and a more established, institutional scale.
• Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM): State seafood development agency for Ireland covering commercial fishing, aquaculture, and processing. Comparable in serving the same constituency but as a statutory government-backed agency rather than an independent advocacy body, IFSA actively criticizes BIM.

Others

• Eurogroup for Animals: Brussels-based animal welfare and fisheries advocacy coalition engaged in EU policy debates that affect the Irish fishing industry (e.g., bycatch, marine mammal protections). Operates as a counterpart advocacy voice on adjacent fisheries policy dossiers at EU level.

Direct peers

• Irish Fish Producers Exporters Association (IFPEA): Named IFSA coalition partner. Represents Irish fish processors and exporters on quota allocation, regulation, and EU trade issues—directly comparable advocacy role targeting the same regulatory bodies (SFPA, DAFM, EU Commission).
• Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation (KFO): Coalition partner of IFSA; Irish fishing industry producer organization headquartered in Killybegs representing inshore and pelagic fishermen on quota and regulatory matters. Operates as an industry-led advocacy body in the same policy arena as IFSA.
• European Fisheries Alliance (EUFA): Brussels-based coalition of European fishing industry organizations advocating on Common Fisheries Policy issues. Comparable multi-stakeholder advocacy mission but at EU-wide rather than Irish-only scope; direct counterpart for EU-level lobbying.
• Seafood Industry Ireland (SII): Representative body for the Irish seafood sector engaging with government and EU on fisheries policy. Closely comparable function to IFSA but with broader seafood-processing membership and a more institutional, less adversarial posture.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/wix
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Wix
• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/218610323236897

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Irish Fishing & Seafood Alliance