McConalogue announces €1.8m EMFF grants supporting €4.5m investment in 28 aquaculture enterprises
- Published on: 5 March 2021
- Last updated on: 5 March 2021
The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D., today announced the award of €1,811,461 in grants to 28 aquaculture companies under his Department’s European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Programme. The grant awards will support total investment of €4.5 million in the aquaculture sector. The grants are co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union and are subject to terms and conditions.
Minister McConalogue said,
“I am delighted to be in a position today to provide €1.8 million in grants to 28 ambitious aquaculture companies to further the growth of their businesses and our aquaculture sector. These grants will support €4.5 million in investment in oyster, mussels, trout and seaweed farming. Despite two major challenges in the form of Covid and Brexit, these 28 aquaculture businesses are showing confidence in the future of their sector and are expanding their production to meet strong market demand for their quality products.”
Minister added,
“In recent years my Department invested in eliminating the licensing backlog for shellfish aquaculture producers and this is I believe being reflected in the large number of grant applications being submitted by shellfish aquaculture producers, showing renewed confidence in their capacity to expand with regulatory certainty.”
Note to Editors:
Ireland’s EMFF Operational Programme 2014-2020 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 to help achieve the aims of the Government’s National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Aquaculture Development, published in 2015. The Plan is seeking to sustainably grow production by 45,000 tonnes. The Plan is presently being updated for the 2021-2030 period.
The EMFF Sustainable Aquaculture Scheme supports capital investment by licensed aquaculture enterprises to sustainably grow production and reduce environmental impact of aquaculture, together with costs of organic certification of aquaculture production. The EMFF Knowledge Gateway Scheme promotes and supports innovation, technological development and disease management in the aquaculture sector.
Grant approvals - Sustainable Aquaculture Grant Scheme
| Beneficiary | Location | Project | Total Investment | EMFF Grant | |
| Dúlra Iorras Teoranta | Mayo | Capacity building in a new seaweed production farm and purchase of equipment | €88,202 | €44,101 | |
| Mannin Seafoods Ltd | Cork | Mussel Organic Certification | €1500 | €750 | |
| Mulroy Bay Mussels Ltd | Donegal | Mussel Organic Certification | €1000 | €500 | |
| B.C. Shellfish Ltd | Kerry | Capacity building and increasing production on your oyster farm | €608,007.00 | €243,203 | |
| Donegal Aquaculture Services Ltd | Donegal | Construction of Oyster packing facility | €290,000 | €116,000 | |
| Cooley Oysters Ltd | Louth | Capacity building and expanding of your oyster farm | €330,115 | €132,046 | |
| Crocknagee Oysters Ltd | Donegal | Construction of oyster handling facility and purchase of equipment including tractors | €670,899 | €268,360 | |
| Fitzpatrick Oysters Ltd | Wexford | Phase 2: Purchase of Farm Equipment | €78,000 | €31,200 | |
| Goatsbridge Trout Farm Ltd | Kilkenny | Upgrade of Production Facilities | €1,250,000 | €500,000 | |
| Inish Sal Teoranta | Donegal | Purchase of trestles, hooks, bags and other equipment to further establish the existing business | €21,158 | €8,463 | |
| Irish Oysters Harvest Ltd | Donegal | Capacity building and expanding of an oyster farm | €100,200 | €40,080 | |
| Dingle Bay Shellfish Ltd | Kerry | Purchase of a new flat bottom oyster barge and grader | €75,280 | €30,112.00 | |
| Keenan Oysters Ltd | Louth | Increasing the production area of an oyster farm | €448,656 | €179,462 | |
| Mr. Liam O’Connor | Kerry | Increase capacity of oyster farm | €18,258 | €7,303 | |
| Mr. Kevin Kilroy | Mayo | Start of New Business & Capacity Building of Oyster Farm | €33,109 | €13,243 | |
| Mr. Michael Scannell | Kerry | Capacity Increase of Oyster Farm | €15,128 | €6,051 | |
| Natura Mussels Ltd | Donegal | Enhancement of offshore lines to produce oysters using floating bags | €32,197 | €12,879 | |
| Ocean Run Ltd | Cork | Improvement of mooring system and expansion of reusable collector rope | €22,793 | €9,117 | |
| Poulnasherry Oysters Ltd | Clare | Purchase of Oyster Bagging Machine | €8,500 | €3,400 | |
| Saddle Rock Fisheries Ltd | Donegal | Purchase of trestles and bags to develop new oyster sites at Saddle Rock Fisheries Ltd | €58,730 | €23,492 | |
| Sofi Shellfish Ltd | Mayo | Increase capacity of an Oyster Farm | €11,990 | €4,796 | |
| Trabay Ltd | Donegal | To increase and secure oyster production | €38,400 | €15,360 | |
| Turkhead Enterprises Ltd | Cork | Purchase of mussel line moulds, ropes and bags | €34,075 | €13,630 | |
| Wild Atlantic Sea Products Ltd | Cork | Deployment of seaweed farm | €20,180 | €10,090 | |
| Cromane Bay Shellfish | Kerry | Purchase of circular grader and oyster barge | €151,266 | €60,506 | |
| Sciana Mara Teoranta | Mayo | To build capacity and upgrade, to increase efficiency and deal with bigger volumes | €24,067 | €9,627 | |
| Oisri Min an Chairn Teoranta | Donegal | Capacity building of new oyster sites | €12,755 | €6,378 | |
| Dooriel Fisheries Ltd | Mayo | Upgrade to Water Oyster Grading Line | €53,280 | € 21,312 | |
| Total: | €4,497,745 | €1,811,461 |
ENDS