National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Aquaculture Development 2030 & EMFAF Operational Programme 2021-2027
The National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Aquaculture Development 2030 (NSPSA) is the successor plan to that developed in 2015 for the period up to 2020. It has been developed using a ‘food systems’ approach in line with Food Vision 2030. The NSPSA overlaps with the EU’s new ‘Strategic guidelines for a more sustainable and competitive EU aquaculture for the period 2021 to 2030’, as well as the programming period (2021 to 2027) of the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF). As such, this plan provides the strategic vision and framework for funding under EMFAF, as well as other EU and national initiatives.
The European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) for the 2021-27 EU programming period was established by Regulation (EU) 2021/1139. It lays down the priorities of the EMFAF, its budget and the specific rules for providing Union funding, complementing the general rules applying to the EMFAF under the EU Common Provisions Regulation (EU) 2021/1060.
Ireland is allocated EMFAF funds of €142,369,552, with the Government of Ireland providing co-funding of €116 million. This provides for a total programme of €258.4 million, with over €98 million allocated to Aquaculture projects under Priority 2 – Fostering sustainable aquaculture activities, and processing and marketing of fisheries and aquaculture products, thus contributing to food security in the Union.
The European Commission’s Strategic Guidelines for a more sustainable and competitive EU Aquaculture (2021) set out a common EU vision for the further development of aquaculture in the EU in a way that contributes to the European Green Deal and builds an aquaculture sector that is competitive and resilient. at a national level, Ireland’s draft National Strategic Plan for Sustainable Aquaculture Development 2021-30 (2021) translates the EU Guidelines into an Irish strategic plan for our aquaculture sector.
IFA Aquaculture has been actively engaged with the consultation process for both the NSPSA and EMFAF – submissions and contributions have been made on behalf of the Irish Aquaculture industry.
IFA’s submission on both documents can be found directly below.