October 7, 2010

Irish mussel growers press for red tape cut

Irish mussel farmers on Wednesday (Oct 6) have called on the government to immediately cut away the red tape preventing the creation of much needed jobs and exports in the seafood sector.

Irish Shellfish Association (ISA) Chairman, Flor Harrington called on Ministers Brendan Smith and John Gormley to speed up the process of bay-by-bay assessment which had been delayed by over a decade to remove the logjam of over 500 licence applications for aquaculture businesses.

"Not only are the unnecessary delays hitting our licences but also preventing farmers from accessing vital capital grant aid for modernisation, improving quality and environmental management," he said.

The farmed shellfish industry is worth over EUR50 million (US$69.7 million) in mostly export earnings to coastal communities each year. Mussel growing is a key part of the sector providing quality seafood to the fresh and retail market as well as raw material for the important seafood processing sector at home.

Mussel farmers, in common with other licence aquaculture producers, have been left in limbo by the Department of the Environment's failure to implement the European Habitats Directive since it was introduced into law in the 1990s.

The Department's inaction resulted in a European Court of Justice judgement in 2007 which requires the State to carry out "Appropriate Assessments" on all licenced activity in areas designated as SACs (Special Areas of Conservation) or SPAs (Special Protection Areas for birds). At least 80% of all Irish aquaculture takes place in these areas.