Mowi Ireland wants to expand, but it needs government help to do so.
The company said recently it would gladly pump millions of euros into expanding its salmon farming and processing operations while also increasing its workforce, but it said the comple thexities of regulatory framework for aquaculture licensing in the country is standing in the way of such investments.
Ireland’s largest salmon producer and the world’s leading supplier of farm-raised salmon would be happy to invest around EUR 24 million (USD 27.8 million) in the creation of four additional farm sites. However, it has seen little progress in the licenses that it has long had under review, Managing Director Jan Feenstra confirmed to SeafoodSource.
That said, there are fresh hopes in the industry that the recent change in government and a new minister at the helm of the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine will resolve some of the licensing issues, Feenstra said.
Mowi Ireland anticipates achieving sales in excess of EUR 80 million (USD 92.6 million) this year, up from a level of around EUR 66 million (USD 76.4 million) in recent years. It currently has 13 operations spanning five coastal counties and employs some 300 people.
Four new licenses would allow the company to increase its production from 9,000 metric tons (MT) to 15,000 MT per year.
The Irish salmon farming industry as a whole produces between 11,000 MT and 14,000 MT annually.
Aquaculture in Ireland is licensed by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, under the Fisheries (Amendment) Act 1997 and its associated regulations, which have been amended to give effect to various E.U. environment protection directives. The act provides for a license duration of up to 20 years.
According to Mowi’s Salmon Farming Handbook 2020, the processing of a marine finfish license in Ireland currently takes between 87 and 260 weeks. Most licenses will be appealed to the Aquaculture Licenses Appeals Board, which can take at least a further 220 weeks to reach a determination. And the process of renewing expired finfish licenses takes as long as a new application, according to the handbook.
Photo courtesy of Mowi
