Ireland secures major increase in EU funding for seafood sector
Following months of intense lobbying and negotiation, Ireland’s marine minister Simon Coveney has secured €148m through the European Maritime Fisheries Fund (2014-2020) to develop Ireland’s seafood industry and dependant coastal communities.
“This funding is more than double the amount available to Ireland during the last Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and will ensure a strong fishing industry that can grow to meet its potential up to 2020,” Minister Coveney said.
The new CFP is a major overhaul of the way fishing is carried out in EU waters, to provide a framework for the long-term sustainability of fish stocks and the industry.
“The fund will provide support for our fishing fleet to meet the challenges of the discards ban, support the development of the seafood processing sector, a sustainable aquaculture industry and the communities that depend on a vibrant seafood industry,” he added.
Industry endorsement
Welcoming the announcement, the Federation of Irish Fishermen’s chairman Sean O’Donoghue said that over the past three years, Irish seafood production has been growing in line with market demand:
“This much needed funding will be a catalyst to achieving the seafood targets as set out in the BIM Strategy and Harvest 2020. This funding could not have come at a better time,” he added.
Unveiled in June 2013, the reformed CFP places new obligations on the fishing sector such as landing obligations and identifies producer organisations as the “key players” in achieving these objectives,” O’Donoghue explained.
The €148m will be spent on scientific data collection; sector development; implementation of the landing obligation and production/marketing plans which all producer organisations have to prepare and implement on an annual basis.
“This significant increase has been achieved in light of the overall reduction in total EMFF support and should be a much needed boost for the Irish industry and significantly help in the sustainable development of stocks and rural, coastal peripheral communities dependent on fishing for their existence,” he added.
IFA Aquaculture has also welcomed the funding package:
“Spent wisely and backed by pro-active State infrastructure that encourages entrepreneurs, SMEs and family aquaculture businesses around the coast, the EU’s new fisheries fund can turn the tide in favour of Ireland’s seafood industry,” remarked Richie Flynn.
He added that the European Commission has placed development of sustainable aquaculture as its “highest priority to address serious employment problems; reinvigorate the economies of coastal areas and displace the influx of imported fish, which now accounts for over two-thirds of consumption by European consumers”.
But he cautioned that this “clear EU commitment to aquaculture” must be matched by Government with a renewed vigour “to cut red tape and remove backlogs in licensing.”
IFA has prioritised capital investment; modernisation; new entrants and environmental impact mitigation in the forthcoming negotiations on the share-out of the funds.
Ireland must now prepare a programme setting out the arrangements for spending the fund and submit this to the Commission by 20 October 2014. The Department has been working on the new Operational Programme since 2013 and has engaged with stakeholders. Further public consultation and strategic environmental assessment will take place over the summer 2014.
