About Us
McBride Fishing Company is based in Downings, Co. Donegal where brothers Hugh and Peter McBride manage a successful crabbing business.
The company operates three state-of-the-art "Vivier Crabbers" in the 18m-26m range. These purpose built vessels are fitted with the latest automated on board working systems to ensure an efficient crab catching operation.
McBride Fishing is highly focused on the continuous all year round supply of high quality crab to the European and worldwide markets. The company supplies to both the proceesed and live crab markets and liases regularly with customers to ensure that market demands are met.
McBride Fishing continually strives to develop and improve the business for the crew, for customers and to contribute to the development of the fishing industry in Ireland. Hugh McBride is currently chairman of the Killybegs Fisherman's Organisation Society.
Both Hugh and Peter McBride have considerable experience in the shellfish industry and this experience was used to design the Vivier Crabbers built for the company by Astilleros Armon Shipyard in Navia, Spain. These boats were built to an extremely high standard incorporating many innovative features that increase crew safety and allow the crabbers to fish in difficult sea conditions.
The boats generally fish grounds on North & West Coast of Ireland and the North Sea - fishing grounds between 10 and 80 miles offshore - and bring in approximately 30 tons of crab per week (1,500 tons per year).
McBride Fishing is continually looking for new grounds to fish and are involved in exploratory fishing surveys with BIM and the Dept of Zoology in Trinity College, Dublin, and are also involved in the ongoing stock assessment programme for crabs.
McBride Fishing are committed to the continued future of crab fishing in Ireland and ensuring sustainable stocks through innovation and dedication to quality.
