THE announcement of more than €1m in grants for capital investment projects by local fisheries has been welcomed by Cork South West FF TD Christopher O’Sullivan.
Bantry’s Senahoek Trading and the Castletownbere Fishermen’s Co-operative Society have received a combined €700,000-plus of the fund announced by the Department of Agriculture.
‘This is welcome investment in the sector by the government, supporting local fish producers to help them grow their businesses,’ Deputy O’Sullivan said.
‘Both Covid and Brexit have made for enormously challenging times. The ongoing capital investment by our seafood sector is evidence of its resilience and its optimism for future growth,’ he added.
The government last week announced €4.9m in new investment by nine seafood processing companies across Ireland.
The grants are co-funded by the Irish government and the European Union and are subject to terms and conditions.
As part of the scheme, the Castletownbere Fishermen’s Co-operative Society received a grant of €257,747 while Bantry’s Senahoek Trading received €448,364.
A new Seafood Development Programme for the 2021-27 period is presently being drafted and is expected to start later this year.
