Minister address shellfish conference

The conference was set to discuss a range of topics on the Irish shellfish industry, including European markets, food safety regulations, digital marketing, EU legislation and licensing, as well as a specific session on R&D activities, new technology and innovation.

Irish Shellfish Association chairman, Flor Harrington, underlined that production of mussels, oysters and other shellfish is a key part of the coastal economy in Ireland.

“We are improving our marketing and maintaining the highest quality through our own investment and hard work as farmers,” he said and continued:

“Unlike many other food sectors, shellfish producers market their own produce and deal directly with customers at home and abroad. It has been a difficult few years for the industry, with the closure of processing plants, mortalities in oysters and a lack of progress on licensing by successive governments. However, both Minister Coveney and EU Commissioner Damanaki have clearly stated that aquaculture will play a key role in addressing the European seafood deficit into the future and from that we expect that support – politically, financially and in decreasing red tape – will be forthcoming at national and EU level.”

IFA has been campaigning for the implementation of a new licensing regime since a 2007 European Court of Justice judgement ruled that the government had not implemented application regulations relating to the Habitats Directive. The delays have caused a backlog of almost 600 licence applications for new sites and revised existing sites in almost every coastal county. IFA has estimated a potential increase of 2,000 jobs and €150 million in export revenue from the swift processing of these applications.