Minister Charlie McConalogue TD announced the award of €1 million in grants to 13 aquaculture enterprises under his Department’s European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Programme.
13 Aquaculture Enterprises Benefit From €1m in Capital Grants afloat.ie - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from afloat.ie Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Aquaculture Information
Aquaculture is the farming of animals in the water and has been practised for centuries, with the monks farming fish in the middle ages. More recently the technology has progressed and the aquaculture sector is now producing in the region of 50 thousand tonnes annually and provides a valuable food product as well as much needed employment in many rural areas of Ireland.
A typical fish farm involves keeping fish in pens in the water column, caring for them and supplying them with food so they grow to market size. Or for shellfish, containing them in a specialised unit and allowing them to feed on natural plants and materials in the water column until they reach harvestable size. While farming fish has a lower carbon and water footprint to those of land animals, and a very efficient food fed to weight gain ratio compared to beef, pork or chicken, farming does require protein food sources and produces organic waste which is released into the surrounding waters.
Thomastown business to receive seafood grant aid boost to finance business strategy kilkennypeople.ie - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kilkennypeople.ie Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.