asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry the number of applications for licences for various mariculture projects which have been made to his Department and which have not yet been decided.
Written Answers. - Mariculture Projects.
589.
There are 280 applications for aquaculture licences for shellfish farming under section 54 of the Fisheries Act, 1980 and 20 applications for fish culture licences for marine fin-fish farming under section 15 of the Fisheries (Consolidation) Act, 1959 on hands at present.
590.
asked the Minister for Fisheries and Forestry the number of officials employed in his Department who are involved in the promotion of mariculture projects.
My Department are concerned with policy, legislative and research aspects of mariculture development. This work entails the part time involvement in varying degrees of several officers in different sections of my Department but no officer is currently engaged on a full time basis in it. BIM are of course also involved in mariculture development through their mariculture grants scheme etc.