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Cowen announces €3.4 million investment in 15 aquaculture enterprises

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Barry Cowen T.D. today announced €3.4 million in new investment by 15 aquaculture enterprises, with his Department’s European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Programme providing grants of €1,282,277.

Minister Cowen said, “I am delighted to announce the approval of a €3.4 million investment by 15 aquaculture enterprises with €1.3 million support from my Department’s EMFF Programme. The latest investments are aimed at boosting production at oyster, mussel and salmon sites around our coast. It is heartening to see this continuing confidence in the future by these ambitious aquaculture enterprises. While recent months were challenging for many aquaculture businesses, the overall trend has been one of growing world demand for our seafood products.”

As SMEs, most of the aquaculture businesses received grants of 40% towards the cost of their investments, with one non-SME receiving 30%, a new entrant to the sector receiving 50% and one investment in organic certification also receiving 50%. The grants are co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union and are subject to terms and conditions.

EU structural funds logo

 

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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 then 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.

 

Grant approvals - Sustainable Aquaculture Scheme

Beneficiary

Location

Project

Total Investment

EMFF Grant

Rate

Derrylea Holdings

 

Galway

 

Organic Certification of Farmed Atlantic Salmon

€7,500

€3,750

50%

Sliogéisc Inisheane Teoranta

 

Donegal

 

Capacity increase in oyster seed production

€28,723

€11,489

40%

Feirm Farriage Oileán Chliara Teoranta

 

Donegal

 

Phase 3: Installation of grid frames and construction of Aquaculture Workboat

€761,595

€228,478

 

 

30%

Glenn Hunter

 

Sligo

 

Construction of an oyster handling facility

€68,747

€34,373

 

50%

Ocean Farm Ltd

 

Donegal

 

Phase 3: Upgrade of salmon farm technology

€1,261,663

€504,665

40%

Skipper Shellfish Ltd

Kerry

Phase 2: Increase capacity of oyster farm

€25,876

€10,350

40%

Northern Bay Oyster Ltd

 

Donegal

 

Increase capacity of oyster farm

€29,670

€11,868

 

40%

Mulroy Bay Mussels Ltd

 

Donegal

 

Investment in new handling equipment

€75,900

€ 30,360

 

40%

Killary Fjord Shellfish Ltd

 

Galway

 

Upgrade of rope mussel farm to continuous longline system

€17,120

€6,848

40%

Woodstown Bay Shellfish Ltd

 

Waterford

 

Phase 2: Increase capacity of oyster farm

€606,815

€242,726

 

 

40%

Oceanic Organic Oysters Ltd

 

Donegal

 

Phase 2: Increase capacity on oyster farm

€183,145

€73,258

 

40%

Rosmoney Shellfish Ltd

 

Mayo

 

Increase capacity of oyster farm

€124,980

€49,992

40%

Seastream Ltd

 

Mayo

 

Purchase of smolt feeding system

€60,000

€24,000

40%

Rodeen Fish Farms Ltd

 

Cork

 

Phase 3: Introduction of continuous rope mussel system

€83,197

€33,278

 

 

40%

Seal Harbour Enterprises Ltd

 

Cork

 

Phase 3: Upgrade of rope mussel equipment

€ 42,100

€16,840

40%

Total:

 

 

€3,377,031

€1,282,277

 

 

ENDS

Date Released: 01 July 2020