Whitefish fleet gets additional £9.5m grant

The Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources, Dr Woods, has approved a further investment of £9.5 million aimed at renewing the whitefish fleet.

The measure, including just over £1 million in direct grants, will buy seven up-to-date secondhand vessels and allow modernisation of another 34.

This follows the £50 million grant-aid and investment programme towards buying 31 new vessels. The modernisation investment is over £4 million.

The Minister said the scheme would improve operational efficiency, safety and working conditions. "The renewal programme will create an up-to-date, internationally competitive, highly mobile and productive Irish whitefish fleet with long-distance capacity and world-class standards of safety," he said.

The new vessels will be encouraged to fish for "non-quota" deepwater fish species, such as Greenland halibut, redfish and grenadier. All of the craft are expected to be active by 2001.

Dr Woods estimates that the initiative should add almost £30 million annually to the value of the whitefish sector output. The marine food sector currently realises about £300 million a year and employs 15,000 people in commercial fishing, aquaculture and processing.

A marine engineering course for transition-year students is being run this week at St Fachtna's De La Salle, Skibbereen, Co Cork. The pilot project, which is being sponsored by the Irish South and West Fishermen's Organisation (IS&WFO) and West Cork Leader Co-operative, aims to create a greater awareness of fishing among young people.