Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 4 November 2010
71 Deputy Christy O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the benefits he expects to be delivered by Bord Iascaigh Mhara’s three year strategy and the Irish national seafood programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40767/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am confident that the Bord Iascaigh Mhara 2010-2012 Strategy — ‘Delivering on the Potential of Irish Seafood', drafted in consultation with the Irish seafood industry, will deliver on its stated targets thus bringing innovative, developmental and financial benefits to both the sector and the economy as a whole. The development of the seafood sector is supported by the Irish Seafood National Programme, which I launched in July of this year and the EU co-funded Operational Programme for Fisheries.
BIM's new strategy document concentrates on avenues to deliver essential developmental services to a seafood industry undergoing rapid and unparalleled change. The strategy sets down over 70 detailed actions under four key themes that underpin the opportunities for the Irish seafood sector. It is anticipated that the strategy will be central to creating some 600 additional jobs across the Irish seafood sector, in addition to developing an extra €50 million in value added seafood sales through processes such as the differentiation of some 40,000 tonnes of seafood products as eco-labelled and of Irish origin worth approximately €120 million, the increase in aquaculture production capacity by approximately 10,000 metric tonnes valued at an estimated €18 million in new sales together with delivering some 3,500 training places to the seafood sector in over 30 coastal locations annually. The strategy is geared toward improving the seafood sector's performance through difficult and challenging times by assisting industry through focused support programmes.
The Irish National Seafood Programme provides Exchequer funded support to the seafood sector to develop new products and processes through enhanced innovation that adds value to products while maintaining and improving environmental and food quality standards with improved cost efficiency. Grants totaling €1.91 million have been made available to 19 seafood projects in both the processing and aquaculture sectors under the Programme for investment projects worth €10.5 million. In addition, the EU Co-funded Operational Programme is providing grant aid this year to support a range of measures covering environmental and inshore management systems for the fishing fleet.
I believe that the seafood sector, made up as it is of indigenous operators, will have a significant role to play in Ireland's economic recovery. BIM's new strategy is a welcome addition to the suite of harmonised strategies for the seafood sector including Steering a New Course, Sea Change, as well as Food Harvest 2020. It adds to and fully complements the existing strategies and positions Ireland well to maximise the very large opportunities which are presenting themselves in the international seafood markets.
