The Minister for Agriculture Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D., today announced the recognition of the National Inshore Fishermen’s Association (NIFA) as an EU Producer Organisation.

Announcing the recognition of the NIFA as a Producer Organisation, Minister McConalogue said, “In our Programme for Government, we committed to supporting the inshore fishing fleet in generating greater marketing and promotional capacity by facilitating the establishment of a Producer Organisation for these smaller fishing vessels, thereby providing additional opportunity for the island and coastal communities involved in the inshore sector. In 2021, my Department recognised the Irish Islands Marine Resource Organisation (IIMRO) as a Producer Organisation which focuses on our offshore islands. I am very pleased to announce that my Department has now completed the process to formally recognise the National Inshore Fishermen’s Association (NIFA) as an EU Seafood producer organisation. The inshore fishing sector is a vital part of our coastal economies and communities and I am committed to supporting this sector and our inshore fishing families.”

Seafood Producer organisations are officially recognised bodies, set up by groups of fishery or aquaculture producers to manage the activity of their members. Producer organisations can play an important role in the market, improving the conditions for the placing on the market of their members’ fishery and aquaculture products, improving economic returns for their members, stabilising the market, avoiding and reducing as far as possible unwanted catches, contributing to the elimination of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and generally coordinating the activities of their primary producer members.

Regulation 1379/2013 on the Common Organisation of the Market for Fishery and Aquaculture Products (the CMO Regulation) provides an EU legal framework for the recognition of Seafood Producer Organisations. A group must apply for recognition as a Producer Organisation to the relevant competent national authority. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has been designated the role of national competent authority for the purpose of this regulation.