Vol. 537 No. 3
111 Mr. Stanton asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources his plans to promote and develop sea angling; the resources he has committed to this marine activity in the past two years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16267/01]
Funding for angling development was provided under the Tourism Angling Measure – TAM – of the Tourism Operational Programme 1994-1999. The Central Fisheries Board – CFB – is responsible for the day to day administration of the TAM. I am informed by the CFB that 20 projects were approved under TAM for the development of sea angling with a total project cost of £516,500, including European Regional Development Fund grant aid of £381,800. These developments included the provision of signposting and information countrywide.
Furthermore, an amount of £400,000 was allocated from TAM to support overseas marketing for the angling product including sea angling. This marketing programme during 1999-2000 included production of brochures and posters on main products for coarse, game and sea angling in five different languages; journalist and trade visits programme; and advertising in the major markets of the UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands.
In addition, the Marine Institute managed an EU-funded market research project to assess the potential for the Irish angling product in the British, French and German markets. The recommendations arising from this research will inform the development of future initiatives in this area.
Under the National Development Plan 2000-2006 a total of £24 million is available for recreational and tourism angling in the Regional Operational Programmes. Under this angling measure funding will be available for projects which include the improvement of angling infrastructure, the development of the angling product and marketing support.
