The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD, today announced the award of €1 million in grants to 13 aquaculture enterprises under his Department’s European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Programme.

The grant awards will support total investment in these businesses of €2,917,572.

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: “I am delighted to announce today €1 million in grant awards to a further 13 aquaculture investment projects, bringing the total awards in 2021 to €3.8 million to 57 aquaculture enterprises, supporting €10 million of investments in our aquaculture sector”. With these latest awards, the €30 million allocated to the aquaculture sector in my Department’s EMFF Programme is now fully committed. However, a new Seafood Development Programme for the 2021-27 period is being prepared and I have already put in place arrangements for an interim Seafood Capital Investment Scheme to ensure capital grants to aquaculture, fisheries and seafood processing enterprises continue to be available pending the completion and adoption of the new Programme. I understand that BIM intend to open that scheme to the aquaculture sector very shortly.

Grant Approvals - Sustainable Aquaculture Grant Scheme

Ireland’s fast emergence as an innovation and new technology hub for a pioneering generation of aquaculture entrepreneurs is the focus of an event being held by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), Ireland’s Seafood Development Agency, on Tuesday, 27 July at 13:00 GMT.

The hour-long event includes a panel of aquaculture entrepreneurs who all began their careers in different sectors and are now applying their skills to aqua-tech to help revolutionise the sector in Ireland and internationally.

Kate Dempsey, Aqualicense, Ronan Loftus, IndentiGEN, Ashie Norris, MOWI Genetics and Brian Wellis, CEO Wellfish Genetics will share their views on how the cross-pollination of ideas and skillsets is allowing Ireland’s aquaculture sector to grow beyond its primary production to the development of industry-leading technologies that could revolutionise the global blue economy.

Richard Donnelly, Shellfish and Innovation Manager, BIM will moderate this event that includes a Q&A session.

“In the long-term, we want Ireland to be the Silicon Valley of aquaculture,” Donnelly said. “BIM want to expand the service industry around aquaculture and see innovations in IT, feeding systems and treatments for disease. Ireland is well-placed to become a leader in this space.”

BIM is hosting its third Aquaculture Innovation Studio, this October. Ten start-up businesses from Ireland will have the opportunity to work directly with and receive mentorship from a global team of experts from aquaculture, fin-tech and marketing disciplines. The two-week programme is being run by aquaculture accelerator, Hatch and is being supported by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. Niall Rahilly, Hatch will be joining the panel discussion to share details on how to apply.

Shellfish growers have welcomed a new research project which will measure the benefits to the coastal environment of their activity.

The ShellAqua project led by researchers at the Ryan Institute in NUI Galway (NUIG) aims to quantify the "benefits to human wellbeing provided by the natural environment from healthy ecosystems, potentially provided by shellfish aquaculture".

It has secured funding by Bord Iascaigh Mhara through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund funded Knowledge Gateway Scheme, and was developed from partnerships and engagement with industry through an Atlantic Area Interreg project.

It aims to develop an ecosystem services-based tool using operational and monitoring data for case-study shellfish aquaculture sites and develop life cycle datasets on mussel and oyster production.

This will allow for monitoring of environmental performance after the project is over.

The project also aims to assess the economic benefits and engage in knowledge transfer of methods, results and approaches.

Oyster seed ready for grading at Coney Island Shellfish. Photo: Dr Ronan Cooney, NUI Galway

Industry partners supporting it include Coney Island Shellfish Ltd, Blackshell Farm, and Kelly Oysters.

The application was also supported by the Galway Bay community-based organisation Cuan Beo and the representative body for Irish Aquaculture, Irish Farmers’ Association Aquaculture.

Datasets and profiling of mussel (Mytilus edulis) and oyster (Crassostrea gigas) aquaculture will take place in Galway Bay, Clew Bay, Co Mayo, Sligo harbour and Drumcliffe bay, Co Sligo.

"The ShellAqua project is valuable for the future and helps take the industry in the direction we need to go," IFA Aquaculture chairman Michael Mulloy, who is owner of Blackshell Farm, said.

" The project will provide the tools we need to verify the sustainability of our industry,"he said.

Mussels long line: Organic rope grown mussels ready for harvest at Blackshell Fam Ltd. Photo: Dr Ronan Cooney, NUI Galway

Alan Kennedy, MOREFISH and ShellAqua project manager at NUIG described it as "another example of how proactive engagement between researchers and the aquaculture sector can support the industry's sustainable development with significant potential benefits for broader society.”

Cuan Beo's Diarmuid Kelly said that "while we have always known the importance of having healthy bivalve populations within our bays, this project will provide us with the scientific evidence of the ecosystem services provided by such communities".

"It will also give us the necessary information needed to inform policymakers of the benefits of protecting shellfish waters," Kelly said.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD, today announced the award of €1,105,022 in grants to 19 aquaculture and seafood processing enterprises under his Department’s European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Programme. The grant awards will support total investment in these businesses of €2,957,627. 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, “I am delighted to announce today grant awards to a further 16 aquaculture investment projects, adding to the grants to 28 aquaculture projects I announced on 5 March. Despite the uncertain business environment created by Brexit and Covid, our aquaculture sector is showing a very strong appetite to invest in and grow their businesses. Taken together, I have now announced some €2.8 million in grant awards to 44 aquaculture enterprises in 2021 and these awards are supporting €6.9 million of investments in our aquaculture sector”.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD

Minister McConalogue added: “County Donegal has accounted for 13 of the aquaculture investment projects supported so far in 2021, while there has been 8 in Kerry and 7 in Cork. Investments on oyster farms have dominated the aquaculture projects supported by my Department’s EMFF Programme in 2021 and some 11 of the 13 Donegal based projects supported have been investments in oyster farms. This places Donegal at the centre of our growing oyster sector”.

Grant Approvals - Sustainable Aquaculture Grant Scheme

Grant Approvals - Knowledge Gateway Scheme

Grant Approvals - Seafood Processing Capital Investment Scheme

A resolution by Green MEP for Ireland South, Grace O'Sullivan, calling on the Commission to block the use of a toxic neonicotinoid in the EU's fish farms will be voted this week by the European Parliament's Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety.

The Imidacloprid pesticide, which has been linked to biodiversity loss and a decline in bee populations, has been banned in the EU for certain agricultural uses on land. There is mounting evidence that the use of this neonicotinoid has a devastating impact on rivers and waterways and its use in Japan has been linked to a dramatic collapse of fish stocks.

Despite this, the European Commission is proposing to establish a Maximum Residue Level for Imidacloprid, which will clear the way for the pesticide's use in EU aquaculture as a treatment for sea lice.

Speaking before the Committee meeting today, Grace O'Sullivan said "I am very concerned by the Commission's proposal which would allow the use of dangerous neonicotinoids in fish farming. We know that this very chemical has devastating impacts on the environment and biodiversity. For this very reason the EU already banned its use on certain crops, a decision more recently upheld by the European Court of Justice. If Imidacloprid is too damaging to go on our crops, how can we accept it in our marine environment?"

The objection was considered in Committee on Thursday, 27 May 2021, and a vote will take place this morning, Friday, May 28th.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D. today (Tuesday 25th May) spoke with a group of transition year students from schools in Buncrana, Carrick, Donegal town, Milford, Letterkenny and Killybegs in Co. Donegal via a live Zoom broadcast to welcome the expansion of the Aquaculture Remote Classroom (ARC) programme to second level schools from September 2021 onwards.

Career opportunities in the aquaculture sector is the focus of the new programme that seeks to build greater awareness among second-level students of the breadth of career options available. Skills and qualifications needed for diverse roles including commercial diving, science, sales and marketing will be brought to life in the programme by way of real-life profile interviews with some of the women and men who work in Ireland’s seafood sector.

Speaking at the launch, Minister McConalogue welcomed the expansion of the programme to second-level students and said:

“I am delighted that this programme is being expanded to include students at second level and with a focus on careers in the seafood sector. Its online format also means it will get to audiences more swiftly and in bigger numbers. Attracting skilled and talented young people to work in Ireland’s seafood sector is central to its continued development. My hope is that the new programme can help to inspire students considering their career options when they leave school and to realise the breadth of opportunities that exist within the sector. ”

The interactive mobile classroom is part of the Farmed in the EU campaign and was launched three years ago in 2018 by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), Ireland’s Seafood Development. The ARC is supported by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and was initially developed to help younger audiences learn about aquaculture in a fun and interactive way using immersive technologies including VR headsets and augmented reality. The ARC programme also covers modules on the socio-economic and nutritional benefits of aquaculture.

Áine O’Donnell, Aquaculture Remote Classroom (ARC) facilitator with students during a schools visit

Up until now, the ARC has been available to only primary level pupils in Ireland. In the last 12 months, the ARC has been adapted and delivered entirely online to ensure teachers and students have been continuously able to access the resource.

Jim O’Toole, CEO BIM highlighted the enduring importance of the seafood sector to Ireland’s coastal communities and said:

“ The seafood sector provides a vital source of jobs and economic activity for coastal communities across Ireland. The continued success and development of the sector is contingent on being able to attract young talent from across different disciplines so that the sector continues to prosper and thrive.”

For more information, click here

Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), Ireland’s seafood development agency today launched its 2021 aquaculture accelerator programme. The programme is aimed at early stage tech, fintech and AI start-ups with ideas in aquaculture innovation and is taking place between the 11th and 22nd of October in the RDI Hub in the South West of Ireland in Co Kerry.

Richard Donnelly, Salmon and Shellfish Manager, BIM said: “ The idea for an accelerator is to put start-ups on the path to growth and scale. We are at the birth of a new field of innovation in aquaculture. More people from different disciplines are getting involved, including those with backgrounds in AI and other areas of tech. They’re beginning to think about systems and software that can transform aquaculture to help meet the growing demand for safe, nutritious and sustainable seafood.”

The programme is being run by Hatch and supported by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. It will bring in between eight to twelve start-ups to connect with BIM and Hatch staff in addition to leading entrepreneurs and investors from the global aquaculture industry to leverage their expertise and to support their commercial ideas.

Applications are now open. For more details go here

Swansea University in collaboration with the Waterford Institute of Technology has announced the line-up of speakers for its webinar entitled Application of Sensors in Precision Aquaculture. The webinar will take place on the 25th of May 2021 and is free to all attendees.

Ten speakers will present a range of cutting-edge sensors being developed in Wales and Ireland to support the aquaculture industry. The webinar will feature talks from entrepreneurs, academics, and government agencies committed to supporting aquaculture companies in decision-making to help make ecological aquaculture an achievable target.

The webinar promises to be an unmissable opportunity for professionals working in the aquaculture of fish, shellfish and seaweeds, but also across this dynamic sector.

"We encourage everyone interested in aquaculture – farmers, researchers, consultants, suppliers, and environmental interest groups to attend this exciting webinar", said Dr Sara Barrento, Swansea University, speaker and organiser of the webinar.

This is the first joint webinar in a series of webinars organized and supported by the European projects: Access2Sea and STREAM. 

Access2Sea

Access2Sea aims to facilitate aquaculture expansion in the Atlantic zone by enabling new aquaculture business opportunities for a more competitive and sustainable blue growth. Access2Sea is funded by the Interreg Atlantic Area Programme through the European Regional Development Fund. The project runs from March 2019 to February 2022. Website link here

STREAM

STREAM: Sensor Technologies for Remote Environmental Aquatic Monitoring, aims to develop sensors to collect environmental data and accelerate the dissemination of information. Quick, reliable, and accurate data is essential to inform decision making. STREAM is funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Ireland Wales Cooperation programme. Website link here

As lead partners in a three year Interreg funded project Predicting the Impact of Regional Scale events on the Aquaculture Sector (PRIMROSE), the Marine Institute has developed a web portal that helps predict the risk and impact of harmful algal bloom events (HABS), providing an important tool for Europe's aquaculture industry.

A project meeting recently hosted by the Marine Institute was attended by the 10 partners from Ireland, United Kingdom, Portugal and Spain. The project is due to be completed in July 2021 and has successfully delivered considerable developments in the area of bloom forecasting.

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) occur when certain species of microscopic algae grow in response to favourable environmental conditions and result in a variety of harmful impacts. Some can produce biotoxins that can be passed on via filter-feeding shellfish, making them unfit for human consumption. Commercial shellfish production is tested year round to ensure their quality before harvesting, but these blooms can occasionally cause substantial damage to the aquaculture industry through prolonged site closures and loss of produce.

While scientists are aware of the many factors that contribute to HABs, how these factors come together to create a "bloom" of algae is not well understood. HABs occur naturally, but human activities that disturb ecosystems seem to play a role in their more frequent occurrence and intensity. Increased nutrient loadings and pollution, food web alterations, introduced species, water flow modifications and climate change all play a role.

The web portal developed as part of the PRIMROSE project, provides early warning for HABS events along the Atlantic coast. The forecast system provides shellfish producers and official authorities with advance warning that allow them to take rapid mitigating measures to affected shellfish beds and, if necessary, post warnings in coastal areas where there is a direct health risk.

"We cannot prevent Harmful Algal Blooms, but we can be better prepared," said Joe Silke, Director of Marine Environment and Food Safety Services at the Marine Institute. "Having the ability to forecast when such events might happen is a very valuable tool for the shellfish industry, helping to safeguard the product and minimise farming mortalities."

The aquaculture sector in Europe produced and sold 1.4 million tonnes of seafood with a value of nearly €5 billion in 2018. The economic impact of HABs has been estimated at €919 million per year in the EU. The new PRIMROSE web portal will add value to monitoring programmes already in place by re-using valuable data that is already being generated to develop regional HABs forecasts and predictions.

The Marine Institute works closely with authorities and the shellfish industry to monitor shellfish production areas to ensure that Irish shellfish are produced to the highest standards. The Marine Institute also issues weekly HABs Bulletins with information on the potential development of toxic and harmful phytoplankton. Part of the PRIMROSE project has involved gathering feedback on shellfish industry requirements, to improve these weekly HABs bulletin.

The Interreg funded project PRIMROSE includes a consortium of 10 partners from five countries across the European Atlantic area with expertise in areas such as marine ecosystems, aquaculture husbandry, geographic information systems, commercial farming, environmental monitoring, modelling, oceanography, dissemination risk assessment and training.

For more information on the PRIMROSE project visit here

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 the 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 for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue

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.”

Grant approvals - Sustainable Aquaculture Grant Scheme

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.