Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 July 2023
586. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he and his Department continue to encourage the fishing industry, with particular reference to ensuring that the industry here can compete with all others; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35530/23]
View answerI can assure the Deputy that my Department constantly monitors the needs of the fisheries sector. I will be meeting next with industry representatives on 19th July. Along with regularly meeting with representatives of the sector, holding formal consultations and attending public forums, we monitor developments in key economic indicators. My Department prepares and publishes an Annual Review and Outlook (ARO), which provides up-to-date information and statistical analysis from a variety of sources, to give a detailed overview of Ireland’s agri-food sector and an outlook for the future. The most recent Annual Review and Outlook report was published in November 2022.
I established the Seafood Sector Taskforce in March 2021 to examine the impacts of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement on our fishing sector and coastal communities and to make recommendations to me on a mitigation strategy. I received the Report of the Seafood Task Force in October 2021 and, based on its recommendations, I have announced over €271 million in supports and development strategies to date.
Included in the schemes announced to date are short term supports and longer-term restructuring initiatives for the fishing fleet, capital supports for both processing and aquaculture sectors, funding for entrepreneurial initiatives in coastal communities and investment in marine infrastructure. Combined, these schemes contribute to sustaining employment in the seafood sector as a whole, providing new career opportunities and ensuring those transitioning within the sector are supported.
In addition to the measures recommended by the Task Force, my Department’s €240 million European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) Programme 2014-20 has been operating since 2016, supporting the sustainable development of our seafood sector. The Programme is now coming to an end and will be succeeded by the new Seafood Development Programme under EMFAF 2021-27 which was adopted by the European Commission in December 2022. The new €258 million programme will continue the provision of a wide range of financial supports to fisheries, aquaculture and seafood processing enterprises and to enterprises, groups and individuals in coastal communities. These will include supports for capital investment, innovation, professional advisory services and marketing.
Despite the challenges, Ireland’s fishing industry has remained resilient. BIM's Business of Seafood report for 2022, published in April 2023, indicates that the value of the overall Irish seafood sector increased by 13% to €703 million, while the overall value of Irish aquaculture products increased by 10% to €196 million.
I can assure the Deputy that this Government is committed to addressing the challenges facing our seafood sector and I continue to pursue all opportunities to increase the fishing opportunities for Ireland’s fishing fleet.
