A State compensation plan to cut almost a third of the Irish whitefish fleet has been launched today by the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, Mary Coughlan.
The voluntary scheme will remove 75 older and larger fishing vessels with mixed catches of fish such as cod, haddock, monkfish, mackerel and herring.
Some €21 million in aid, and tax relief provisions, are being provided for the scheme in 2008 with a further €21 million committed in 2009. While this figure is well short of the €58 million signalled by the Government a year ago in its €600 million national seafood strategy, Ms Coughlan said she will "pursue further funding, in line with the recommendations of the Cawley report, as required, taking account of the take up under the scheme".
"This programme represents a very substantial commitment to bringing the Irish fishing fleet into balance with available resources and ensuring that those remaining in the industry can be assured of a profitable future. The recently published Finance Bill contains a number of measures specifically designed to reduce the tax burden on fishermen taking up this scheme," said Ms Coughlan.
The scheme is open to vessels owners in respect of fishing vessels 10 years or more in age and 18 metres or more in overall length. Vessels must be operational at the time of decommissioning and have a recent track record of fishing. The level of payments under the scheme are determined based on criteria including the age of the vessel and its catch history but will not exceed in any case €7,500 per gross tonne.
Ms Coughlan added: "The Seafood Strategy sets down the road map for the development of the sector. We must focus on sustainability of fish stocks and maximising the return from the fish catch.
"Already good progress has been made, in line with the Cawley strategy, on delivering a more innovative and co-ordinated approach to the marketing and processing of seafood in order to maximise the value at every stage from the sea to the table.
"We are determined to press ahead to deliver on the full range of recommendations, of which decommissioning is an important step, and in so doing to secure the future for our coastal communities dependent on fishing."
The EU has approved the Government's scheme, which will also be endorsed in Dublin by the Minister of State for Fisheries, John Browne.
The closing date for receipt of all applications under this scheme is 5 pm on Wednesday 30th April 2008.
Details of the scheme are available by contacting the Fleet Development Section, BIM P.O Box 12 Crofton Road, Dún Laoghaire Co. Dublin, Tel: 01-214-4100 or can be downloaded from the BIM website at www.bim.ie