Vol. 529 No. 1
202 Mrs. B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources the reason compensation was not awarded to mussel fishermen operating at Castlemaine Harbour, County Kerry; the further reason they were not treated equally with mussel fishermen in other parts of the country; if he will review the situation as these fishermen have had no income for six months; and if he will meet with these people immediately to clarify the situation. [1819/01]
I met representatives of the mussel fisheries at Castlemaine Harbour last December to review their current difficulties. The £2.5 million shellfish remedial package announced recently is being administered by BIM. The objective of the scheme is to provide financial aid to assist rope mussel producers who have experienced difficulties due to biotoxin closures with a once-off environmental clean-up of redundant stock and to restore and secure production capability for the future. The package will assist producers to overcome difficulties which have impacted badly on the rope mussel sector, in particular. Applications which meet the eligibility criteria for the scheme are under consideration by BIM.
In the context of available funding, I have requested BIM to meet representatives of the Castlemaine mussel fishermen to determine how best to alleviate the impact of quantified losses suffered by them as a result of prolonged closures due to biotoxins and seed losses due to storms.
Question No. 203 answered with Question No. 189.
