More support for Northern Irish aquaculture
NORTHERN Ireland’s aquaculture sector is to receive a further financial support package of up to £325,000 to help mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Fisheries Minister Edwin Poots MLA announced the package, which brings the total amount of funding provided by the Department for the sector to £685,000.
Funding will be in the form of a grant payment, covering the four month period from 1 September to 31 December 2020 and will be based on a percentage of the income lost from the sales of aquaculture products due to Covid-19, using average income over the past three years as a baseline.
The Scheme will be delivered under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund 2014-20, co-funded by the NI Executive and the European Union.
There are approximately 28 active aquaculture producers in Northern Ireland, and the sector, worth around £11m annually, employs around 130 people.