Salmon and oyster cages moored in a fish farm near Rathmullen, Lough Swilly, Donegal, Ireland.
Adobe Stock
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue attended The Skipper Expo 2024, where he launched the Irish National Seafood Development Programme under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund 2012-2027 (EMFAF).
The EMFAF 2021-27 was officially approved by both the Monitoring Committee and the Commission on December 8, 2022, and as the Minister confirmed the funding has increased up to €258.4 million compared to the previous EMFF Program 2014-2020.
"The development of the Programme entailed multiple stakeholder consultations and environmental assessments. These important engagements with all stakeholders contributed significantly to the drafting of the programme," McConalogue explained.
In addition, he clarified: "This new programme builds on the Brexit Adjustment Reserve (BAR) Schemes and provides for additional, longer-term supports to enable our seafood sector to engage in transformational change and for our coastal communities to thrive."
The Skipper Expo 2024 had over 120 exhibitors from the seafood and fishing industry. A large volume of seafood and fishing industry stakeholders meet in the venue and share their concerns about the sector.
According to the Irish government, the new programme includes support for fishing capital investment both on board and ashore, relating to landing obligations, innovation in fishing gear and methods, technical advice to the fleet, acquisition of first the vessel by young fishers, the inshore fleet, training and marketing.
