Details of a £30 million (€38 million) investment programme for sea fisheries have been released by the Minister for the Marine, Mr Fahey, in Galway.
Small communities seeking to use "imaginative" ways of adding value to fish, and ports introducing electronic fish auctions and other "e-trade" initiatives stand to benefit from the programme, which is part of the £171 million (€220 million) commitment in the National Development Plan to the seafood sector
The investment aims to make the most - or more - of fish catches which are not likely to increase in Irish waters because of declining stocks of some species, and tough EU quotas. It will be administered by Bord Iascaigh Mhara. Speaking in Galway, the Minister said the objective was "to increase the incomes of people in coastal communities" by adding value and "by aiming for optimum quality and market timing and conditions".
He said there was a major focus on the inshore fisheries sector, which employs almost half of all fishermen.
"This six-year integrated programme for supporting measures for sea fisheries development is the first down payment in the Government's £171 million commitment to the seafood industry," the Minister said.
It will combine with a fishing fleet development measure which he intends to announce in several weeks' time.
The programme covers eight main areas and includes grant aid for electronic trading and other such initiatives. Other areas included are small-scale coastal fisheries and producer organisations which want to implement plans to improve quality and added value; quality certification, traceability and working conditions; collection of basic data and preparation of environment management models for fisheries; sustainable fisheries management and experimental/technical conservation measures.
Grants will be available at up to 100 per cent for public projects deemed to be in the collective interests of the fishing industry and carried out by public bodies or research institutions; up to 80 per cent for contributory projects; and up to 60 per cent for private projects.
The Minister has already welcomed the EU's acceptance of Irish proposals for regional management in the European pond in a revised Common Fisheries Policy. The controversial 20-year-old policy has been deemed a failure, but the review is expected to be limited when completed by the end of this year.
The initial presentation of a Green Paper on the review was presented to fisheries ministers at last week's council in Luxembourg.
The Minister is due to attend a major debate on the review at the next ministerial council meeting in June.
