Ministers launch Food Vision Seafood Sector Group to address reduced quotas and support Ireland’s seafood sector with practical new EU measures
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, together with Minister of State with responsibility for Fisheries and the Marine, Timmy Dooley TD, have today jointly launched the Food Vision Seafood Sector Group.
Ireland’s seafood sector is vital to maintaining the economic viability of our rural coastal communities. The seafood sector also underpins the social fabric of coastal communities and helps deliver on environmental sustainability.
The Group, which has been established in response to significantly reduced fishing opportunities for the Irish fleet in 2026, will operate under the auspices of Food Vision 2030. It will consider the challenges facing all three components of the Irish seafood sector – catch fisheries, aquaculture and seafood processing. It is also tasked with developing a framework of measures to respond to these challenges.
Commenting at the launch Minister Heydon said: “Food Vision 2030 is my Department’s strategy on positioning Ireland’s agri-food sector as a world leader in sustainable food systems. Our fishermen and women, our aquaculture producers are fundamental to the delivery of that Strategy. In that context, I consider it particularly appropriate that the economic, and indeed social, viability of the seafood sector is considered and addressed under Food Vision.”
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Minister of State Dooley added: “The outcomes of last December’s AgriFish Council were extremely disappointing for Ireland. Today’s meeting signals my steadfast commitment to addressing the challenges now facing the sector. Our fishermen and women both inshore and offshore, our processors and aquaculture producers and our fisheries co-operatives are the backbone of our rural coastal communities. My aim in establishing this Group is to harness their collective experience and expertise in developing a suite of measures that will support the sector through the challenging period ahead.”
Michael Berkery, former General Secretary of the Irish Farmer’s Association, has been appointed to act as an independent Chairperson for this group and has been tasked with drafting a Chairman’s Report by June this year.
The seafood sector organisations attending the meeting were the Killybegs Fishermen’s Organisation, the Irish Fish Producers Organisation, the Irish South and East Fish Producers Organisation, the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation, the National Inshore Fisherman’s Association, the six Regional Inshore Fisheries Forums, IFA Aquaculture, Co-operative representatives, the Irish Islands Marine Resource Organisation and the Irish Fish Processors and Exporters Association. The meeting was also attended by relevant Government Departments and State Agencies.
