Minister for Agriculture Food and the Marine, Michael Creed T.D. today announced the award of €2,369,801 in grants to 17 seafood enterprises in 9 different counties under his Department’s European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Operational Programme for the seafood sector.  The grant awards will support total investment in these companies of €6,472,909 in the aquaculture and seafood processing sectors. 

Minister Creed said, “I am delighted to say that, despite uncertainties created by Brexit over the past 2 years, there is still strong confidence in our seafood sector about its future growth prospects.  The 17 seafood enterprises that are investing €6.5 million this year with assistance from the Department of Agriculture , Food and the Marine’s European Maritime and Fisheries Fund supported Programme are evidence of that strong confidence in the sector and the Government is supporting that confidence. These companies are seizing the market opportunities that are there in abundance for quality Irish seafood products.  This is particularly true for companies like Keohane Seafoods from Cork, which is undertaking a major €3 million investment to double its salmon production capacity at its plant in Bantry.”

Creed added, “My Department is assisting ambitious seafood enterprises with many exciting growth projects through generous EMFF financial supports, available through BIM for seafood enterprises to grow their output, add value to their products and develop and diversify their markets worldwide. In this announcement, Seafood companies in Cork, Kerry, Clare, Galway, Mayo, Donegal, Louth and Monaghan are being supported to drive forward the development of their companies with innovation and technological development, thereby creating further value-added from our high quality primary seafood products”.

The grants are co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union and are subject to terms and conditions.

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Note to Editors

Ireland’s EMFF Operational Programme 2014-2020 was adopted by the European Commission in December 2015 and launched in January 2016 by the Minister for Agriculture Food and the Marine.  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 Government of Ireland and the European Union.

Two support schemes are available to the aquaculture sector to help achieve the aims of the National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Aquaculture Development.  The Plan is seeking to sustainably grow production by 45,000 tonnes.  The Sustainable Aquaculture Scheme supports capital investment by licensed aquaculture enterprises to sustainably grow production and reduce environmental impact of aquaculture.  The Knowledge Gateway Scheme promotes and supports innovation, technological development and disease management in the aquaculture sector.

Three support schemes are available to the seafood processing sector to foster and support innovation, value-adding, new market development and investment in new equipment and premises. The Seafood Processing Capital Investment Scheme provides up to 30% aid to seafood processing premises to encourage capital investment in value-adding production capacity.  The Seafood Scaling & New Market Development Scheme provides up to 50% aid to groups of seafood processing enterprises who work together to develop new export exports.  The Seafood Innovation & Business Planning Scheme provides aid of up to 50% to seafood processing enterprises to foster innovation in new product development. 

Bord Iascaigh Mhara has been provided with €21.6 million of EMFF funds in 2019 to disperse to the seafood sector.

Grant approvals - Sustainable Aquaculture Scheme

   Grant approvals – Knowledge Gateway Scheme

Grant approvals - Seafood Processing Capital Investment Scheme

Grant approvals - Seafood Innovation & Business Planning Scheme

Grant approvals – Seafood Scaling & New Market Development Scheme

ENDS

Date Released: 11 May 2019