John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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126. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of fishermen that have signed up to the clean oceans initiative; the amount of waste that has been recovered; the costs to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41292/19]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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In January of this year, I launched the Clean Oceans Initiative to address the serious issue of marine plastic pollution. I have tasked Bord lascaigh Mhara (BIM) with leading implementation of the initiative. I understand that 199 Vessels have signed up to the Clean Ocean Initiative at 12 of Ireland's busiest ports with a total of 968 crew members now participating. BIM has reported that, for the first nine months of this year, over 365 tonnes of marine litter has been collected and 9 tonnes of used fishing nets collected for recycling by BIM’s mobile shredder, the ‘Green Machine’.

BIM estimates the cost of funding the Clean Oceans Initiative at €210,000 and has submitted an application for funding under the European Maritime Fisheries Fund to my Department.