Sharks le Chéile - 2025 Angler Survey
Information for Participants
You are being invited to take part in a research study about recreational angling for elasmobranch species (sharks, skates and rays) in Ireland.
Participation is voluntary.
Before you decide if you want to take part, it is important for you to understand why the research is being done and what taking part involves.
Please take time to read the following information carefully and discuss it with others if you wish. Please contact us if there is anything that is not clear or if you would like more information.
This research is conducted by researchers at Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, and has undergone data protection review and ethics approval by the appropriate ethics committee at this institution. For further information on Trinity College Dublin’s data protection policy, including your data rights, please click here. Should you have any queries, please contact Luke Cameron at camerolu@tcd.ie
What is the purpose of the study?
We plan to study the demographics, behaviour, views and impact of this sector of the recreational angling community in Ireland. We are interested in understanding the views and experiences of the Irish angling community, as well as those anglers who travel to Ireland to partake in angling. To do so, we will collect information relating to your age; gender; county (or country) of residence; angling-related expenditure; angling practices and views, as well as your email address.
Please note: should you wish to remain anonymous, you do not have to provide your email to complete the survey, however we will need this information to enter you into the raffle for our angling voucher giveaway. If you choose to provide your email, we will not use it for marketing purposes, nor will we share it with anyone else, and we will not contact you in future unless you opt in to be contacted regarding any future surveys.
Why have I been chosen to participate?
This survey is open to anyone over the age of 18 who has caught an elasmobranch in Ireland in their lifetime, whether you are a casual angler who has caught a dogfish, or an expert angler with decades of experience targeting a range of shark and ray species.
We are hoping to have approximately 500 participants in the study.
Do I have to take part?
It is up to you to decide whether or not to take part. If you do decide to take part you will be asked to sign a consent form. You can also download a copy of the information provided here via this link. If you decide to take part you are still free to change your mind at any time and without giving a reason.
What will happen to me if I take part?
Each participant will have the option to complete an online survey. The survey will ask your opinions on a range of relevant angling and conservation-related topics, as well as questions regarding which species you have caught and/or would like to catch, your angling related travels and expenditure and your age, gender and county of residence (Irish residents) or country of residence (non-Irish residents).
What are the benefits of taking part?
You may benefit from taking part based on your potential to win a €50 angling voucher as part of our free to enter raffle.
What are the possible disadvantages and risks of taking part?
We have taken all measures to minimise any risk to you. All information will be treated confidentially.
Will my participation in this study be kept confidential?
Yes, your privacy is important to us. Your personal information will be stored on secure computers in Trinity College Dublin, and backed up using secure cloud-based software, for up to 5 years. Any information that leaves Trinity will have the name removed so that your identity remains confidential. We will never share your personal information with any third parties. Anonymised, aggregated data may be shared with the scientific community, government agencies and industry.
What will happen to the results of this research?
The information from this study may be published in scientific papers and on public registries or government policy advice documents. If this is the case, your identity will remain confidential and no one will know that you took part in the study. A summary of, and link to, any published documents will be provided on this website.
What do I do if I have any further questions?
If you have any questions or concerns regarding your participation in the study please contact Luke Cameron at camerolu@tcd.ie for further information. They will be happy to answer any questions that you may have.
Thank You
DATA PROTECTION
Data Controller:
Trinity College Dublin
Data Protection Officer:
Data Protection Officer
Secretary’s Office
Trinity College Dublin
Dublin 2
Ireland
Email: dataprotection@tcd.ie
Website: www.tcd.ie/privacy
What is the lawful basis to use my personal data?
Information will only be used for this research study, which aims to characterise the demographics, angling practices, experiences, conservation-related behaviours, economic contributions and opinions of recreational anglers targeting elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) within Ireland. The legal basis for processing your personal data is Article 6(1)(e) of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The legal basis for processing your sensitive personal data is Article 9(2)(j) GDPR.
What are my rights in relation to your use of my personal data?
You are entitled to request any of the rights below unless it would make it impossible or very difficult to carry out the research study:
The right to access to your personal data;
The right to receive a copy of your personal data;
The right to ask us to restrict our use of your personal data;
The right to ask us to correct inaccurate information about you; or
The right to ask us to delete your personal data.
You are entitled to object to any further processing of the information we hold about you (except where it is de-identified).
You can exercise these rights or learn more about data protection in relation to this study by contacting Luke Cameron at camerolu@tcd.ie or the Trinity College Data Protection Officer (contact details above).
Please note that these rights relate to data which could identify you (personal data). If your data has been anonymised, we will not be able to access or delete it as we will have no way of being able to link the data to you.
If you are unhappy with how we have used your personal data, you can raise a concern with the Data Protection Commission via their online form - https://forms.dataprotection.ie/contact - or contact the Commission at:
Data Protection Commission
21 Fitzwilliam Square South
Dublin 2
D02 RD28
Ireland
Information about our free raffle
The raffle for our angling voucher giveaway will be held following closure of the survey window on the 31st of October 2025. Entries will be chosen at random to receive one of forty angling vouchers to a value of €50. Upon completion of the raffle, all entrants will be notified of the outcome by email.
You can download a copy of the information provided here via this link.
If you wish to continue, please click the link at the bottom of this page to continue to the consent form and survey
(Please note: You will be unable to participate in the survey until 01/07/2025)
