Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

237. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to promote and develop the fishing industry, with particular reference to maximising incentives to assist families dependent on fishing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21573/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Our seafood industry has been on a sustained growth path in recent years, with sales growing to €890 million in 2015. Current FAO estimates are that growth in world consumption of fish will require an extra 40 million tonnes of seafood by 2030. Ireland can capture a significant share of this global seafood opportunity with the right strategy and supporting investment. FoodWise 2025 recognised this opportunity for the growth of our seafood industry and set out a strategy to realise that growth potential by focussing on the key areas of sustainability, added value, processing scale, human capital, increasing raw material supply and developing our markets.

In January this year, a new €240 million development programme for Ireland’s seafood sector was launched - the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Operational Programme. That Programme will be the primary tool to address the 6 key areas identified in FoodWise. I was delighted to announce in June the first tranche of €4.3 million in grants to 51 aquaculture and seafood processing enterprises under the EMFF Programme.

Under that Programme, I am making available €30 million to kick-start growth in our aquaculture sector, which has been stagnant for too long. In December, we published Ireland’s first National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Aquaculture Development, targeting growth in output of 45,000 tonnes by 2023, aided through 24 specified initiatives. To complement those efforts, my Department is working to deliver up to 200 licence determinations this year and will initiate a review of aquaculture licensing procedures, as recommended in FoodWise.

All of these efforts focusing on aquaculture, together with efforts to attract landings of fish by foreign vessels, will help increase the supply of raw material to our growing processing industry to convert to added value consumer foods, food ingredients and functional foods. I will be making available €33 million Government funding through the EMFF Programme to support the further development of our processing sector through enhanced scaling and value adding. FoodWise recognises that we need to reduce the level of seafood product which is exported in commodity form from its present 70% level to below 50%. Adding value to seafood products will make a huge difference to the economic activity and levels of employment in our coastal communities.

These efforts are being supported through €2 million investment in 2016 by Bord Bia in promoting Irish seafood internationally and assisting our producers to find and grow markets. They are being supported by a commitment within the seafood sector to sustainability, with 32 Irish seafood companies fully verified as members of Origin Green, and a further 16 applications in the pipeline. Between them, these companies will account for in excess of 80% of total seafood export values.

In these many initiatives to implement the FoodWise strategy and in our financial commitment through the EMFF Programme, Government is clearly stepping up to the challenges and striving to grow our seafood industry.