The Government's commitment to more than double funding for the Irish seafood industry over the next seven years has been welcomed as "unprecedented" by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM).
The plan allocates £171 million in EU and State funds for fisheries and aquaculture development from 2000 to 2006, as part of an overall commitment of £938 million for marine resources.
BIM says that this is in line with what it was looking for when it made its pre-national plan submission to the Government.
BIM maintains that a doubling of annual EU and State expenditure on the marine sector should increase employment by up to 20 per cent over the next seven years in the most peripheral regions.
Mr Pat Ridge, chairman of BIM, said that "the level of support for the fishing sector in the plan is unprecedented".
The plan allocates £35 million to coastal protection - £30 million for projects identified as priorities and £5 million for research and development. Regional ports are to receive £46 million in State support.
The Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Dr Woods, said this investment would make a significant contribution to balanced regional development. The main State seaports have already been charged with funding investment costs from their own resources under the revised Harbours Act. Some £24 million has been earmarked for continued restoration and development of game, coarse and sea angling fisheries as a tourism and recreational resource. This will be underpinned by water quality investment programmes for the key river and lake catchments.
Some £20 million has also been allocated to a new marine tourism and leisure programme.
