Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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221. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will adjust the requirements of the Brexit inshore fisheries business model adjustment scheme for vessels under ten metres to include activity during July, August, and September to reflect the seasonal nature of activities for smaller vessels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3744/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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On 12 January, I was delighted to announce a support scheme for the inshore fisheries sector to assist inshore fishers in adjusting to the impacts of Brexit on their businesses. The Brexit Inshore Fisheries Business Model Adjustment Schemedelivers on a recommendation of the Report of the Seafood Task Force - Navigating Change(October 2021). The scheme is proposed for funding under the EU Brexit Adjustment Reserve.

As exporters of live shellfish and other highly perishable seafood products, our inshore fishers have been particularly impacted by logistical and route to market difficulties arising from Brexit. These difficulties have added costs to the business model of our inshore fishers and in reducing the shelf life of the product have impacted negatively on prices at the quayside. The new scheme will assist inshore fishers in adjusting their business model to the post Brexit market environment and will take the form of a suite of four online training modules to be made available by BIM, specifically tailored to the inshore fishing sector, with a payment to owners of inshore fishing vessels to assist them with the costs of undertaking the training and subsequently adjusting their business and marketing plans. Payments will be €2,700 for owners of vessels under 8 metres in length and €4,000 for owners of vessels between 8 metres and 17.99 metres in length.

The scheme is based on the detailed scheme proposal to the Task Force made by the National Inshore Fisheries Forum and recommended by the Task Force for implementation. In terms of eligibility criteria, the NIFF recommended that for vessels to be eligible, they should demonstrate that they were active during the first six months of 2021 through sales notes and logbook data and in the absence of such, through verifiable sales invoices. In implementing this recommendation in respect of vessels under 10 metres in length, I was very conscious of the seasonal nature of their fishing activities, and as such I set an achievable threshold of €1,000 in sales over that six-month period as proof of a vessel being active.