Press release
McConalogue announces â¬1 million in grants to support â¬4.9 million in new investments by eight seafood processing companies
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D., today announced â¬4.9 million in new investment by eight seafood processing companies, with his departmentâs European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Programme providing grants of â¬1,011,184. 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,
âI am very pleased to support these eight seafood enterprises to further grow their business. These are particularly challenging times with both Covid and Brexit impacting on markets and the ongoing capital investment by our seafood sector is evidence of its resilience and its optimism for future growth prospects.â
Irish Fishing industry
The Irish Commercial Fishing Industry employs around 11,000 people in fishing, processing and ancillary services such as sales and marketing. The industry is worth about €1.22 billion annually to the Irish economy. Irish fisheries products are exported all over the world as far as Africa, Japan and China.
FAQs
Over 16,000 people are employed directly or indirectly around the coast, working on over 2,000 registered fishing vessels, in over 160 seafood processing businesses and in 278 aquaculture production units, according to the State s sea fisheries development body Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM).
All activities that are concerned with growing, catching, processing or transporting fish are part of the commercial fishing industry, the development of which is overseen by BIM. Recreational fishing, as in angling at sea or inland, is the responsibility of Inland Fisheries Ireland.