A €50 million project to develop Killybegs harbour in Co Donegal, is to be announced by the Minister for the Marine, Mr Fahey, today.
The project is the largest investment by the State in a fishery harbour, and contract documents are due to be signed by Mr Fahey this afternoon . It comes during a week when the Minister has been criticised for the final EU approval for the 144-metre Irish supertrawler Atlantic Dawn, owned by Killybegs businessman and skipper, Mr Kevin McHugh.
A delegation from the Irish South and West Fishermen's Organisation (ISWFO) queried the move at a meeting with the Minister in Dublin this week, and intends to discuss it at its board meeting tomorrow in west Cork. Yesterday, the Green MEP, Ms Patricia McKenna, also described the development as "scandalous", and said that the European Commission should be "hiding its head in shame".
The EU approved the €63 million ship's inclusion on the Irish and EU fishing vessel registers late last week after an 18-month battle. The vessel is currently fishing off west Africa, but Irish fishermen are concerned about the decision to give it a limited entitlement to fish within EU waters. As part of the deal, Mr McHugh's second supertrawler, the Veronica, has been removed from EU waters and is registered in Panama.
Ms McKenna yesterday queried how the Commission could sanction the transfer of the Veronica "to one of the most blatant pirate fishing countries".
Yesterday the Minister approved an €87 million investment programme for the seafood processing sector, while earlier this week he initiated a €1.2 million conservation programme for lobsters, and allocated €120,000 for improvements at Cleggan pier in Connemara. The seafood processing programme will be funded under the National Development Plan (NDP), and will be supported by the Government's investment of €35 million.
Seafood exports are valued at €430 million annually, and the domestic market is worth €200 million.
