Minister Creed Announces 153 Successful Projects worth €3.6 million under EMFF Fisheries Local Action Group Scheme
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, T.D. visited the renowned Ballycotton Harbour today (Thursday 8th June) to announce a range of successful projects that will deliver a total investment of €3.6 million under the innovative and inspiring Fisheries Local Area Action Group (FLAG) Strategy for Ireland’s 7 coastal regions. The FLAG Scheme is co-funded by the Exchequer and the EU under Ireland’s European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) Operational Programme 2014-20. Over the duration of the EMFF programme, the FLAG Scheme will deliver €12 million in funding to Ireland’s coastal communities.
Speaking in Ballycotton at the event to announce the FLAG grant offers, Minister Creed commented: “Following the official launch of the EMFF FLAG Scheme on the 1st February this year, I am delighted to be here today in the South FLAG region to announce over €3.6 million in total investment for 153 projects around our coast. It is testament to the hard work and dedication of our volunteer FLAG Board members in each of our 7 FLAG regions that this year’s programme has delivered so many projects that will enhance the economic and social wellbeing of our coastal communities”.
Over 200 project applications were received under the FLAG Scheme this year, with the final 153 selected by the FLAG Boards for their contribution to community rejuvenation, enterprise, innovation, job creation and skills enhancement across the fishing, aquaculture and maritime industries.
BIM’s Chief Executive Jim O’Toole added: “BIM has worked closely with all of the FLAG Boards around the coast this year as they developed and implemented their own local strategies. Seafood and its wider role in the community is at the core of this innovative programme and it is the diverse nature of the projects funded under the scheme that illustrates the true value of the seafood industry to our coastal communities and also the potential for further growth in the years ahead. I would like to thank the Minister and his officials for their support and the FLAG Board members who have given so much of their time and experience to this important programme”.
The Chairman of the board of South FLAG said; ‘We are delighted to be able to announce that FLAG South has approved funding for 17 projects ranging from Marine Tourism, Seafood Development and Production , Community Lead Initiatives, and supports for Small Scale Coastal Fishermen. Of the 17 projects approved today €250,000 in grant aid has been awarded with an overall value to the economy of the South FLAG area of over €500,000’
These grant awards contribute to the Action Plan for Rural Development
Notes for the Editor
The EMFF Operational Programme was launched in January 2016. The Programme provides €240m in funding to the seafood sector (fisheries, aquaculture and seafood processing) over the period 2014 to 2020. The Programme is co-funded by the Exchequer and the EU.
FLAG, Fisheries Local Area Action Group (2014 – 2020) is a coastal community development strategy with a fund of €12 million for 7 designated Irish coastal communities. Focusing on coastal community rejuvenation, the FLAG strategy is centred on the renewal of practices and skills in the Fishing, Aquaculture and Maritime related sectors with the primary aim of bringing added value to the 7 FLAG Regions. Restoration of such related practices while inspiring innovation, business and enterprise yielding local job creation through the fishing, seafood, tourism and marine industries along with social inclusion form the integral component of the FLAG coastal community strategy. The 7 FLAGs are South FLAG (Cork), FLAG Southwest (Kerry, Limerick), FLAG South East (Waterford, Wexford, Wicklow) FLAG West (Mayo, Clare), FLAG Northwest (Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim), FLAG North, (Donegal) and FLAG North East (Dublin, Louth, Meath).
Bord Iascaigh Mhara assists FLAGs to deliver this programme through administering supports via grant-aid, training and on the ground facilitation, with dedicated regional FLAG coordinators in each region. The FLAG boards consider all applications for support and select projects for funding.
Today’s launch sets the foundation for the implementation of the overall FLAG Strategy nationally which will be followed in the coming weeks and months with the launch of projects from each regional FLAG.
Examples of some of the projects in the South FLAG region include, seafood business ‘Fish Seafood Deli’, who are expanding their business in Carbery Business Park, Co. Cork to increase production of their new seafood product range; ‘Atlantic Sea Kayaking’ in Cork who are developing a marine leisure base and blueway hub and the ‘Seafood and Shanty Festival’ in Ballycotton.
Following the conclusion of the FLAG Board project selection meetings, projects were approved as follows:
FLAG Projects Investment Grant Aid Requested
North 31 €468,047.23 €307,001.30
Northwest 22 €544,988.03 €315,403.64
West 33 €819,884.62 €410,667.91
Southwest 10 €277,539.00 €162,082.00
South 17 €503,617.18 €250,243.31
Southeast 29 €645,334.35 €423,846.77
Northeast 11 €417,790.98 €209,073.48
To view this Press Release as a PDF: DAFMPR 101/2017 (pdf 442Kb)
Jim Kennedy, Atlantic Sea Kayaks, Monica Buckley and Peter Shanahan of 'The Fresh Fish Deli' Rosscarbery, County Cork, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, Jim O'Toole, CEO, BIM, and Finian O'Sullivan, Chair, South pictured at Ballycotton Harbour on Thursday at the announcement of a €3.6 million Fisheries Local Area Action Group (FLAG) fund, administered by BIM, for Ireland’s 7 coastal regions. The FLAG Scheme is co-funded by the Exchequer and the EU under Ireland’s European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) Operational Programme 2014-20 and will deliver €12 million in funding to Ireland’s coastal communities.
Date Released: 08 June 2017
