The Irish government is providing €45 million in funding to help the seafood processing sector.
The scheme is based on a recommendation of the Seafood Taskforce which was established by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue to assess the impacts of Brexit and on the fishing sector and coastal communities. The Taskforce recommended that the sector be stimulated by graduated grant aid rates for capital investment projects in the industry.
“Our seafood processors are of vital importance for our coastal communities, sustaining over 4,000 jobs and supporting the local economies in which they operate,” said Minister McConalogue.
“I am pleased to announce that this new scheme will introduce significant levels of support to enable processors develop their enterprises, navigate the challenging trading environment and support jobs in the seafood sector.”
The scheme, administered by Bord Iascaigh Mhara under the Brexit Adjustment Reserve, will provide greater levels of funding to projects which add value. It will in particular support seafood processors trying to move away from commodity production to the production of higher value-added products. It will also help those seeking to diversify their offering and enter new markets.
Funding will also be available for seafood processors seeking to improve environmental performance and efficiency.
The Minister has requested that BIM open its call for applications as soon as possible and investment projects must be completed before the end of 2023 to qualify.
