Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 21 October 2004
21 Mr. Sherlock asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the recent report prepared by the BIM and the Marine Institute, suggesting that some 4,500 additional jobs could be created by the development of offshore fish farms; his response to the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25663/04]
View answerThe report referred to was jointly commissioned by Bord Iascaigh Mhara, BIM, and the Marine Institute in order to assess the potential for the further development of offshore farming of finfish in Ireland and internationally. It was produced to coincide with an international conference in Ireland on offshore finfish aquaculture entitled, Farming the Deep Blue, organised by BIM and which I opened.
It is envisaged that largescale offshore farms will be developed in the future in semi-exposed sites. From an Irish perspective, the report concludes that Ireland could potentially increase its current output by 150,000 tonnes with a first sale value of €500 million per annum and supporting approximately 4,500 extra jobs. All of this wealth creation and employment would be located in Ireland's most vulnerable peripheral coastal communities.
The report also concludes that the multifaceted technological challenge of successfully moving finfish farming offshore is too great for any one company or for any one country alone to address. The report recommends that an international body should be formed to form a global community that would operate in a high tech virtual environment.
Following the endorsement of the delegates at the conference, BIM in collaboration with experts from the University of Limerick, the Marine Institute and interested parties is moving to form a new international body for offshore aquaculture development. This body would serve as an international focal point for developing offshore aquaculture and it would seek to accelerate and galvanise the process through the co-ordination and provision of financial and knowledge capital. I consider that Ireland is ideally poised to play a major part in the development of offshore finfish farming and I am fully supportive of this important initiative.
