Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 2 June 2004
151 Mr. Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the investigations that have been carried out by his Department to examine the possible use of by-products from the fishing industry for bio-energy generation. [16677/04]
View answerBord Iascaigh Mhara, BIM, has been involved in several research and development projects in recent years, investigating the potential of by-products from commercial fisheries and fish species for medicinal use and for use as bait in crab and lobster fisheries. A substantial quantity of by-products from the fishing industry is currently recycled as fishmeal.
In December 2003 my Department, in association with Sustainable Energy Ireland established a bio-energy strategy group — BSG — to consider the policy options and support mechanisms available to stimulate increased use of biomass for energy conversion. While the Department has not carried out any specific investigations on the potential of fish processing residues for the production of energy, the BSG is considering the potential of anaerobic digestion for the conversion of bio-degradable feed stocks to energy and such feed stocks could include fish processing residues. The BSG is scheduled to complete its final report before the end of the year.
