Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 June 2023
488. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason Ireland decided not to implement the EMFF 2014-2020 and EMFAF 2021-2027 making crisis support available for the operators in the fishery and aquaculture sectors for income lost due to adverse conditions caused by the war in Ukraine; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29793/23]
View answerI have been closely monitoring the trends in fuel prices and have engaged with the industry frequently on this matter. It has been a welcome signal, that after peaks in the summer, fuel prices began to fall towards the latter part of 2022 and for 2023 to date have continued to fall and stabilise at levels similar to those experienced prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
During these events, I have been ensuring support has been provided for the seafood sector through the development of schemes based on Seafood Task Force recommendations, totalling €271.3 million to date. These include increased support for fishers with additional tie-up periods for the whitefish segment and a reopening of the Brexit Inshore Business Model Adjustment Scheme for 2023. Additional schemes are being examined at present with regard to State Aid rules.
The EMFF Seafood Development Programme is nearing closure with the majority of funds committed. In utilising the residual EMFF funding, in February I announced the reopening the Sustainable Fisheries Scheme (Part B). This scheme provides grant aid for on-board capital investment in fishing vessels and is an important opportunity to maintain investment in the fleet and to enable vessel owners invest in environmentally progressive sustainable fishing.
The EMFAF Seafood Development Programme was adopted by the European Commission in December 2022 and is the primary source of funding for the seafood sector over the coming years. For fisheries, the Programme will include supports for capital investment on board vessels, innovation in fishing gear and methods and technical advice to the fleet.
This combined approach has ensured that short-term supports are available to fishers in the challenging operating environment, that long term investment supports are in place to reduce the exposure of the fleet to future shocks and that funds are maximised to ensure the longer-term development and sustainability of the seafood sector as a whole.
