The European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) 2021-2027 is a successor to the European Maritime, Fisheries Fund (EMFF) 2014-2020.
Ireland is to receive €142 million of EU funds from the new EMFAF which will be combined with co-funding from the Government of Ireland. These funds will be allocated for the management of fisheries, aquaculture and fishing fleets, and also cover measures such as scientific advice, controls and checks, market intelligence, maritime surveillance and security.
The Marine Institute, as the Specified Public Beneficiary Body, is implementing three schemes under the EMFAF 2014-2020:
MARINE BIODIVERSITY MARINE KNOWLEDGEDATA COLLECTION
The Irish EMFAF programme aims to strengthen the resilience of the seafood sector, through environmentally sustainable and climate smart actions, and to support its green transition and digitalisation. The programme contributes to the EU objectives defined in the EU Green Deal, Farm to Fork, Biodiversity strategy and national seafood strategies.
The programme will also address the important long-term and structural reforms needed in response to the impact felt from Brexit by the Irish seafood sector.
Improving energy efficiency, decarbonisation, digitalisation and building resilience to the effects of climate change are cross-cutting areas of support. The programme can provide also for emergency support for the seafood sector in case of significant market disruption.
The fisheries specific challenges will be tackled through actions addressing the generational renewal of an ageing workforce; improving the health, safety and working conditions on board fishing vessels; on board investments in selective fishing gears to reduce unwanted catch and onshore investment to facilitate the handling of unwanted catch; also support for the temporary cessation of fishing activities may be provided in case of natural disasters, environmental incidents or health crises.
Data collection and fisheries control and enforcement, which are key for the effective implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy, remain important focus areas of the programme and together account for more than a third of its total budget.
Sustainable aquaculture and processing of fisheries and aquaculture products are also important areas of support. For these areas, the objectives of the programme will be achieved through innovation, investments in sustainable aquaculture, including developing cultivation techniques that support biodiversity and actions to increase the competitiveness of the processing sector.
The coastal communities will drive the implementation of the Irish community-led local development strategies to enhance economic opportunity and ensure a dynamic framework for sustainable local development and diversification of its blue economy.
The Irish EMFAF programme will also support specific actions to enrich marine knowledge, in particular to improve the management of marine protected areas (MPA), as well as to fight against marine litter. This will include continued support for the designation and management of Natura 2000 sites and MPAs, the development and use of more selective fishing gear, the restoration of habitats and species and the expansion of the Clean Oceans Initiative to address plastic pollution.
The Irish EMFAF programme focuses on research, innovation and knowledge transfer, skills development and also the use of modern technologies to strengthen the resilience and profitability of the seafood sector.
FUNDING PRIORITIES
The Irish OP is organised around the following priorities:
- Priority 1 (P1): €138 million (53.5% of the total allocation) aims to fostering sustainable fisheries and the restoration and conservation of aquatic biological resources.
- Priority 2 (P2): €98 million (38% of the total allocation) will foster sustainable aquaculture activities, and processing and marketing of fisheries and aquaculture products
- Priority 3 (P3): €15.5 million (6% of the total allocation) will go towards enabling a sustainable blue economy in coastal, island and inland areas, and fostering the development of fishing and aquaculture communities
- Priority 4 (P4): €6.5 million (2.5% of the total allocation) aims to strengthen international ocean governance and enabling seas and oceans to be safe, secure, clean and sustainably managed.
Ireland's OP budget is €258,369,552 consisting of an EU contribution of €142,369,552 under the EMFAF, with a further €116,000,000 from the Irish exchequer.