Almost 500 fishing and aquaculture vessel owners have applied for the Government’s fuel support scheme, which has been sanctioned by the EU. The €15 million State aid scheme to support fishing and aquaculture companies facing increased fuel prices due to the Middle East crisis was recently approved by the European Commission.
The scheme will run until December 31st, 2026, and aims to cover the additional fuel costs resulting from the Middle East crisis incurred during the five-month period from March to July 2026, which includes the Spring and Summer fishing seasons.
For owners of vessels under six meters in length, the direct grant aid has been set at a flat rate of €350. For owners of vessels of six metres or more, support will be calculated based on expenditure, backed by receipts, up to a maximum of €0.40 per litre of fuel.
Vessels had to be on the Irish fleet register at the time of application, and owners had to be able to prove they were actively fishing between March and July in 2025. Verification draws on Sea Fisheries Protection Agency (SFPA) data, either in the form of sales notes or logbook days at sea, depending on the size of the vessel.
The scheme opened on May 27th and closed on June 17th, by which time BIM says a total of 488 applications had been received. The closing date was extended from June 12th to 17th.
Numbers would have been greater if the application scheme hadn’t been so “laborious” and complex, National Inshore Fishermen’s Association (NIFA) chairman Michael Desmond has said. There was no provision for skippers who do not have ready access to an online portal or are not comfortable with technology, he said.
BIM said in response that the scheme deadline was extended and additional support was put in place to support applicants. “These included access to a dedicated grants support helpdesk, as well as direct outreach from BIM regional officers, who contacted potential applicants and provided one-to-one assistance to help progress draft applications through to submission,” BIM said.
BIM said there was no provision for a further extension to the closing date.
Aquaculture vessel owners were also eligible to apply for the aid, provided their vessel is registered under the aquaculture segment of the Irish fleet register.
