€1.1m grant aid announced to support seafood enterprises
Nearly €200,000 has been allocated in funding to support Munster seafood enterprises. File Picture.
€1,105m in grant aid has been awarded to 19 aquaculture and seafood processing enterprises under the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Programme (EMFF).
Announcing the funding, Minister Charlie McConalogue said the latest development would “further add” to the grants allocated to 28 aquaculture projects which were announced back in March.
“Despite the uncertain business environment created by Brexit and Covid-19, our aquaculture sector is showing a very strong appetite to invest in and grow their businesses,” he continued.
“Taken together, I have now announced some €2.8m in grant awards to 44 aquaculture enterprises in 2021 and these awards are supporting €6.9m of investments in our aquaculture sector.
“County Donegal has accounted for 13 of the aquaculture investment projects supported so far in 2021, while there has been eight in Kerry and seven in Cork.
“Investments on oyster farms have dominated the aquaculture projects supported by my Department’s EMFF Programme in 2021 and some 11 of the 13 Donegal based projects supported have been investments in oyster farms.
“This places Donegal at the centre of our growing oyster sector”.
Those in Munster in receipt of funding include:
- Allihies Seafood Limited, Cork was awarded €60,882 for the development of a Seaweed Farm;
- Atlantic Sea Farms Limited, Cork received €36,289 for the expansion of production capacity on its existing mussel farm;
- Sam Lowes, Kerry set up a new oyster farm in Kenmare Bay and was awarded €7,009;
- Bantry Marine Research Station Limited, Cork received €55,680 towards investment in farm infrastructure and equipment;
- Carl Daly, Kerry, was allocated €2,231 to upgrade mussel floatation barrels to conform with special area of conservation (SAC) recommendations;
- Realt Na Mara Shellfish Limited, Kerry got €63,695 to purchase a barge, teleporter and generator to improve harvesting methods;
- Tavne Ltd t/a Achill Oysters, Clare was awarded €5,980 to increase its oyster production capacity and purchase new equipment purchase;
- Simon Hogan, Waterford was allocated €2,500 for professional advisory services to support the establishment of Seaweed farm at Dungarvan Bay;
- llen Seafood Limited, Cork, received €18,900 to add Value to Sprat.
Meanwhile, 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.
Two EMFF support schemes are available including the Sustainable Aquaculture Scheme and the Knowledge Gateway Scheme.
The Sustainable Aquaculture Scheme supports capital investment by 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, together with support for professional advisory services.
