Welcomes launch of locally built workboat in West Cork

The Orchid is a 15.6 m vessel and involved investment of half a million euro by Marine Harvest.

Mr Flynn said: “The fact that the Orchid, expertly built by a local boatyard in Castletownbere, will be put into action serving sites around the Beara peninsula is a tremendous and practical incentive to secure Ireland’s place in the world’s fastest growing food sector – fish farming.”

Congratulating the MD of Marine Harvest, Jan Feenstra, MHI south western manager John Power, and all the company’s local staff, Mr Flynn said that all the hard work and efforts of the industry – along with other fish and shellfish farmers in the area - would help to stem emigration and put local skills of farming and fishing to good use for the economy.

“I am especially pleased that Marine Harvest had the imagination and creativity to involve local schools in the area in a competition to name the vessel, and particularly thank local boy Darragh Fenner who named the boat and for Beara Iron Works who put so much effort into its construction,” Richie Flynn said.

“It will undoubtedly contribute to the development of salmon farming in the south west and the creation of more jobs in farming, processing and servicing the industry”