Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 December 2017
572. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of progress towards the programme for Government commitment to explore the potential for the development of onshore closed-containment fish farming as an emerging technology. [53983/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland’s National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Aquaculture Development, published in 2015, proposes 24 actions to drive the sustainable development of the aquaculture sector and grow production in the sector by 45,000 tonnes by 2023. The Plan targets a 30% increase in production derived from onshore close containment recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). Considerable international developmental effort is being put into land based RAS systems. A number of technological challenges need to be overcome to make RAS economically viable.
BIM funded a 2015 study by the Irish Salmon Growers Association ‘Potential for Land Based Salmon Growout in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) in Ireland’. The report describes in detail all technical aspects of RAS production and system design and operations. It also covers important biological aspects of land based salmon production.
As part of my Department’s €240 million European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Operational Programme, a new Aquaculture ‘Knowledge Gateway Scheme’ was launched in 2016. I have provided BIM with a budget of €8.2 million for that Scheme over the course of the Programme. In close collaboration with aquaculture enterprises and researchers, the Scheme aims to develop knowledge, innovation and technology in the aquaculture sector to ensure its sustainable development. An important part of the focus of the Scheme will be the applied research and development on RAS identified in the National Strategic Plan. This may take the form of applied research undertaken by BIM on behalf of the sector or initiatives from industry operators or research institutions.
To further incentivise RAS developments, I increased grants rates in December 2016 under the EMFF Sustainable Aquaculture Scheme for RAS developments to the maximum possible rate of 50% for 2017 applications. In May 2017, I doubled the maximum grant amount from €500,000 to €1m per project (still at 50% of eligible expenditure).
The Knowledge Gateway Scheme and the Sustainable Aquaculture Scheme remain open and BIM would welcome industry or research projects related to the development of RAS technology in Ireland.
