The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD, today announced the award of €1,105,022 in grants to 19 aquaculture and seafood processing enterprises under his Department’s European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Programme. The grant awards will support total investment in these businesses of €2,957,627. The grants are co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union and are subject to terms and conditions.
Announcing the grants, Minister McConalogue said, “I am delighted to announce today grant awards to a further 16 aquaculture investment projects, adding to the grants to 28 aquaculture projects I announced on 5 March. Despite the uncertain business environment created by Brexit and Covid, our aquaculture sector is showing a very strong appetite to invest in and grow their businesses. Taken together, I have now announced some €2.8 million in grant awards to 44 aquaculture enterprises in 2021 and these awards are supporting €6.9 million of investments in our aquaculture sector”.
Minister McConalogue added: “County Donegal has accounted for 13 of the aquaculture investment projects supported so far in 2021, while there has been 8 in Kerry and 7 in Cork. Investments on oyster farms have dominated the aquaculture projects supported by my Department’s EMFF Programme in 2021 and some 11 of the 13 Donegal based projects supported have been investments in oyster farms. This places Donegal at the centre of our growing oyster sector”.
Note to Editors:
Ireland’s EMFF Operational Programme 2014-2020 was adopted by the European Commission in December 2015 and launched in January 2016 by the Minister for Agriculture Food and the Marine. The Programme provides €240m in funding to the seafood sector (fisheries, aquaculture and seafood processing) over the period 2014 to 2020. The Programme is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union.
Two EMFF support schemes are available to the aquaculture sector. The Sustainable Aquaculture Scheme supports capital investment by aquaculture enterprises to sustainably grow production and reduce environmental impact of aquaculture. The Knowledge Gateway Scheme promotes and supports innovation, technological development and disease management in the aquaculture sector, together with support for professional advisory services.
Three support schemes are available to the seafood processing sector to foster and support innovation, value-adding, new market development and investment in new equipment and premises. The Seafood Processing Capital Investment Scheme provides up to 30% aid to seafood processing premises to encourage capital investment in value-adding production capacity. The Seafood Scaling & New Market Development Scheme provides up to 50% aid to groups of seafood processing enterprises who work together to develop new export exports. The Seafood Innovation & Business Planning Scheme provides aid of up to 50% to seafood processing enterprises to foster innovation in new product development.
Grant Approvals - Sustainable Aquaculture Grant Scheme
Beneficiary | Location | Project | Total Investment | EMFF Grant |
Allihies Seafood Limited | Cork | Development of a Seaweed Farm | €121,764 | €60,882 |
Crookhaven Fishermen’s Association Ltd. | Dublin | Building of a seaweed grow-out farm | €143,963 | €71,981 |
Atlantic Sea Farms Limited | Cork | Expansion of production capacity on existing mussel farm | €90,722 | €36,289 |
Mr. Sam Lowes | Kerry | Set up a new oyster farm in Kenmare Bay | €14,019 | €7,009 |
Bantry Marine Research Station Limited | Cork | Investment in farm infrastructure and equipment | €139,201 | €55,680 |
Mr. Carl Daly | Kerry | Upgrading of mussel floatation barrels to conform with special area of conservation (SAC) recommendations. | €5,580 | €2,231 |
Loughros Beg Specials Ltd | Donegal | Expansion and development of new oyster sites | €180,581 | €72,232 |
Feirm Farraige Oilean Chliara Teoranta | Donegal | Pole System, AGD Bags & Workboat | €1,158,443 | €347,533 |
Killary Fjord Shellfish Limited | Galway | Increase efficiency and to provide a safe clean environment for packing shellfish). | €94,783 | €37,913 |
O’Sullivan McCarthy Mussel Development | Mayo | Purchase Bagging machine & conveyor for oyster processing | €17,470 | €6,988 |
Realt Na Mara Shellfish Limited | Kerry | Purchase of barge, teleporter & generator to improve harvesting methods. | €159,237 | €63,695 |
Tavne Ltd t/a Achill Oysters of Mr. Hugh O’Malley | Clare | Capacity increase in oyster production and new equipment purchase | €14,950 | €5,980 |
Sliogéisc na Rossan Teoranta | Donegal | Expansion of oyster production | €105,490 | €42,196 |
Sliogéisc Inisheane Teoranta | Donegal | Capacity increase in oyster seed production | €18,000 | €7,200 |
Total: | | | €2,264,203 | €817,810 |
Grant Approvals - Knowledge Gateway Scheme
Beneficiary | Location | Project | Total Investment | EMFF Grant |
Mr. Simon Hogan | Waterford | Professional advisory services to support establishment of Seaweed farm at Dungarvan Bay | €5,000 | €2,500 |
NUI Galway | Galway | ShellAqua – The development of tools to quantify the ecosystem services provided by the shellfish aquaculture sector in Ireland | €162,729 | €162,729 |
Total: | | | €167,729 | €165,229 |
Grant Approvals - Seafood Processing Capital Investment Scheme
Beneficiary | Location | Project | Total Investment | EMFF Grant |
Errigal Bay Limited | Donegal | Errigal Bay Capital Expenditure | €399,695 | €84,183 |
Ilen Seafood Limited | Cork | Adding Value to Sprat | €63,000 | €18,900 |
Atlantis Seafood | Wexford | Adding Value to Sprat Fish Waste & Offal Utilisation | €63,000 | €18,900 |
Total: | | | €525,695 | €121,983 |
ENDS