Deputy Joe McHugh: Welcoming the Killybegs jobs boost
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Simon Coveney has warmly welcomed plans by the Killybegs Fishermen’s’ Organisation (KFO) and a Norwegian partner, to build the largest marine food ingredients plant in the world in Killybegs.
Donegal Daily revealed the plans last night.
The plant, due to become fully operational by the 1st of January 2017, will produce valuable high- end marine protein for human consumption.
It’s expected to create up to 120 new jobs.
The Minister said: “This facility will become a ‘game-changer’ in the seafood sector. It will position Killybegs and Ireland as a global leader in supply and research around new products and benefits from protein, oils and calcium associated with the sea.
“This new processing facility arises from the new boarfish fishery which was developed by Irish fishermen over the past few years.
“In 2012, the EU introduced quota shares for the stock and Ireland secured 70% share of the fishery and has a quota of 88,000 tonnes in 2014. I am delighted that the new food ingredients project will maximise the value of a significant part of this fishery and centre the associated economic activity and jobs in the heartland of Ireland’s fishing community.”
Minister Coveney said “These plans are at an early stage and discussions are underway to finalise the full funding of the project. I look forward to the successful conclusion of these negotiations and to a formal announcement of this project in Donegal. KFO Chief Executive, Sean O’Donoghue, has invited me to Donegal to announce specific details of the project on 9th May which I’m very pleased to accept subject to successful conclusion of the on -going discussions.”
The Minister is attending the BIM National Seafood Conference today in Dublin. The focus of this conference, attended by seafood business leaders, global industry thinkers and world renowned fisheries experts is ‘Capturing Ireland’s share of the global seafood opportunity.
Minister Coveney said: “We all need to challenge our thinking and inform ourselves of best international practice so that Ireland will be able to position itself to maximise its share of the global seafood opportunity. Ireland may currently be a small player in the context of world seafood, however, given the huge resources around our coast it is clear that we should have major ambitions for sustainable growth of our seafood sector. This Conference will contribute to making these ambitions a reality and the Killybegs food ingredients projects shows what can be done.”
Donegal TD Joe McHugh says the Killybegs development is a result of the hard work of the government in Europe to secure greater quotas.
“It’s a superb boost for Killybegs,” he said, “coming as it does just a few days after the new Coast Guard station was officially opened by Minister Varadkar.”
Pat The Cope Gallagher also welcomed the jobs.
Pat the Cope was centrally involved in introducing legislation in the European Parliament in 2011, which facilitated the exploitation of the boar fishery by ensuring the use of the most appropriate fishing gear type.
This helped Ireland to secure 70% of the Total Allowable Catch for the entire fishery. It would not be possible to establish such a facility, if not for the exceptionally high quota which Ireland secured. This is in no small measure due to the years of exploratory fishing by a number of vessels in the Irish Pelagic fleet, according to Pat the Cope.
Pat the Cope has paid tribute to the KFO for attracting an international partner specialising in bio marine ingredients.
“This is a welcome jobs boost for Killybegs and the County of Donegal which will result in the creation of up to 50 jobs during the construction phase and a further 70 direct and indirect jobs when it goes into full production,” stated Pat the Cope.
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