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The Government must grasp the opportunity to
create 2,000 jobs in fish and shellfish farming, the Irish
Farmers Association has declared.
John Bryan, IFA president, said the IFA presented
a 10-point plan aimed at doubling the output of the €120 million
industry to Marine Minister Tony Killeen at a meeting in Dublin.
The plan calls for the revitalisation of a high
quality sustainable industry around the coast as a critical
move towards saving remote communities and supplying vital
raw material for seafood processors.
"There are 859 shellfish and finfish licence
applications awaiting approval - that’s a lot of jobs, investment
and exports at a time when they were never needed more. The
economic crisis has hit remote rural areas extremely hard.
Yet, our farmed seafood products are in high demand throughout
Europe and the world," he said.
Mr Bryan said the IFA needs a Government commitment
that remaining blockages to licencing and grant aid are dealt
with immediately. The IFA plan proposes that Bord Iascaigh
Mhara (BIM) develops an inward investment programme to complement
indigenous investment and highlights the need to improve consumption
of seafood at home.
It also says Bord Bia and BIM must invest in
the Irish aquaculture quality assurance schemes to encourage
full participation and recognition at producer, processor
and retail level.
Irish Shellfish Association chairman, Flor Harrington
said the increased output of products such as salmon, mussels
and oysters, as well as new species, could add up to an extra
€100 million in export earnings for rural areas. "Significant
value is added to products by transforming them into consumer
cuts, ready-meals and high value processed products."
Jan Feenstra, chief executive, Marine Harvest,
the country’s largest aquaculture producer, said the inter-departmental
Marine Co-ordinating Group, set up last year by Taoiseach
Brian Cowen, must publicly set out a plan to defend and develop
seafood jobs and exports. It must deliver its key objectives
including protecting and generating jobs.
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