Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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1024. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress made on targets to increase fish exports in volume and value terms as per Foodwise 2025. [36953/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Food Wise 2025 has identified the seafood industry as one of the key drivers of export growth for Ireland’s agri-food sector and the value of seafood exports reached €666 million in 2017, a 10% increase year-on-year. The main driver of export growth was Irish Organic Salmon increasing in value by 69% from €71 to €121 million. Other export products such as seaweed, shrimp, prawn and whiting also experienced strong growth. France is the most important market for exports accounting for over one quarter of the total value. The UK and Spain are the other top export partners both accounting for over 10% of total export value.

To assist our seafood processing sector in achieving its growth potential in the years ahead, and informed by Food Wise 2025, the Government is focussed on encouraging the sector to add value to fish raw material through increased innovation and development of new consumer products, encouraging the sector to further enhance its scale to make it more competitive on world markets, and encouraging the development and diversification of our export markets. My Department’s European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Operational Programme is providing the development funding for these objectives and Bord Iascaigh Mhara is delivering these EMFF supports through the Seafood Innovation, Seafood Scaling and Seafood Capital Investment Schemes, while Bord Bia is significantly expanding its seafood promotion programme.