Written answers

Wednesday, 2 November 2011

Department of Agriculture, Marine and Food

Fishing Industry Development

8:00 pm

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 395: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he expects to facilitate the development of the fishing industry with the objective of maximising employment opportunities in the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31934/11]

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 396: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he hopes to expand and develop the Irish fishing industry within the context of the Common Fisheries Policy or otherwise; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31935/11]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 395 and 396 together. I am committed to continuing the path set out in Food Harvest 2020 for the development of the seafood sector in Ireland. Food Harvest identifies the potential of the seafood industry to increase employment by 3,000 to 14,000 full time equivalent jobs by 2020. The strategy set out in Food Harvest involves both the processing and aquaculture sectors.

My Department and its agencies have been working together on a twin-track approach to overcoming existing constraints on the aquaculture sector, firstly through the comprehensive bay by bay environmental impact assessments required by EU Birds and Habitat Directives and secondly through development of the feasibility of locating aquaculture in less sensitive but more challenging conditions offshore. We are starting to see promising signs of progress in 2011 on the environmental assessments in Natura sites and I believe this will gather pace as the process is bedded-in. BIM provides support programmes for the sector, including an innovation and technology support scheme and capital grant support for shellfish production. The latter is available to aquaculture operations outside Natura areas and to those within Natura areas where assessments under the Habitats and Birds Directives demonstrate that aquaculture is compatible with those Directives. The continuation of these programmes in future years is subject to Budget allocations.

In relation to the seafood processing sector, Food Harvest 2020 recognised that the sector was fragmented, lacking in scale, uncompetitive in terms of production costs, too focused on export of commodity products and constrained by inconsistent supply of raw material. BIM, with Enterprise Ireland and Udaras, is working to address each of these issues.

Grant aid support under the Seafood Processing Business Investment Scheme was provided in 2011 to improve competitiveness and help the companies concerned develop export markets for high value added products. Twenty nine projects were approved for capital grant aid of €2.5 million, supporting related investment of €10 million. This investment is projected to lead to increased sales of €43 million and 222 additional jobs in the sector by 2014.

BIM launched a new Seafood Value Adding Scheme earlier this year to support seafood companies with developing added-value products. The scheme assists with concept development, including business planning, product development and packaging. Fifteen company projects have been approved, covering testing, developing a range of new products, new packaging formats and development of high value by-products from primary processing. The continuation of these two programmes in future years is subject to Budget allocations.

BIM initiated contacts with French fishing industry during 2011 to develop a strategic alliance between Irish seafood processors and French fishing vessels operating in Irish waters. The aim of this alliance is to enable French vessels land their catch into Irish ports where it can be more efficiently handled by Irish processors, saving fuel costs and shortening the route to market for the French vessels. Under the initiative, Irish processors will have the opportunity to access and process more raw material, a key objective of Food Harvest 2020.

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