Irish fishing vessels may carry “green” certification for sustainable catches under a new three year strategy published by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM).
Greater efforts will also be made to differentiate Irish seafood on the international marketplace in the new strategy, which promises to create 600 additional jobs in the sector and to generate an additional €50 million in sales by 2012.
The BIM plan was presented to Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith and Minister for State for Fisheries Sean Connick in Clonakilty, Co Cork today, when the two ministers also released the Government’s long-delayed EU-sanctioned programme for the sector.
Both plans have been welcomed by the seafood industry, but fish farmers have expressed extreme frustration at the Government’s 2007-13 programme, which was to have been published three years ago - and which may exclude up to 80 per cent of fish farmers working designated protected habitats.
Mr Smith noted that the two “significant initiatives” were published in the same week as Food Harvest 2020, the Government’s plan for the agri-food and seafood sectors.
“I have consistently stated that the seafood sector, made up as it is of indigenous operators, will have a significant role to play in Ireland’s economic recovery,” Mr Smith said. Some €6.5 million will be available in grant-aid to the end of this year under the Government’s plan.
BIM chief executive Jason Whooley told The Irish Times that the agency believed there was still “considerable potential” for commercial fishing and aquaculture in spite of difficulties experienced in recent years. The sector currently employs over 11,000, and contributes more than €700 million to the economy annually.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation had forecast that an additional 30 million tonnes of seafood will be required by 2030 to meet growing global demand, Mr Whooley noted.
Over 65 per cent of seafood consumed in Europe is imported, and it is imperative that Irish seafood is differentiated on the marketplace, he said.
BIM aims to have up to 40,000 tonnes of Irish seafood, at a value of about €120 million, carrying “eco-labelling” and identified as of Irish origin by 2012, Mr Whooley said.
Some 100 vessels have already applied for certification under a recognised “sustainable-catch” standard. BIM hopes to encourage more to do so, as one of over 70 key actions in business development and innovation, knowledge and technology transfer, skills development and environmental compliance and sustainability.
“We believe that there are additional jobs and additional revenue in an indigenous industry, in the absence of obvious alternatives, and we see that we have a significant role to play,” Mr Whooley said.
Irish Fish Producers’ Organisation (IFPO) chief executive Lorcan Ó Cinnéide said that the BIM strategy was “refreshing” in its direct approach. The Government’s strategy had been “slow in coming” but “releases avenues for funding” and other initiatives, he said.
IFA Aquaculture sector executive secretary Richie Flynn said that while he welcomed both plans, the Government’s strategy disqualified most of his members as the Department of Environment had “not fulfilled its obligations under the EU Habitats Directive”.
“There is a massive amount of work to be done to re-establish Ireland as a major seafood producer in Europe,” Mr Flynn said.
“Geographically, environmentally, economically and socially we can be world seafood leaders. Jobs, exports and quality are they key issues which the Government must focus on, yet we have had to wait since 2007 for this programme to be announced because of the apathy of Government departments towards the seafood industry,” Mr Flynn said.
“Family-owned companies in the west of Ireland will be barred from access to grant aid because the old Dúchas and now the National Parks and Wildlife Service did not do their job and got caught, costing the Irish economy millions of euro,” Mr Flynn said, referring to a recent European Court of Justice ruling.
