South East coastal based projects secure €905,333 investment under Fisheries Local Area Action Group (FLAG) Strategy

Dungarvan based festival -The West Waterford Festival of Food one of 44 South East FLAG projects in 2018

July 20^th, 2018

Bord Iascaigh Mhara today announced details of €905,333 investment for 44 coastal based projects in the FLAG South East region of Ireland under the Fisheries Local Area Action Group (FLAG) Strategy.

Jim O’Toole, CEO of BIM said that the FLAG Programme would continue “to promote sustainable growth in the local economies of Irish coastal towns and villages and provide a significant boost to these important communities.” He added that, “by 2020, the FLAG Programme will have invested up to €12 million in Ireland’s coastal communities, providing jobs, and exciting opportunities to men and women who live along Ireland’s coastline.”

More than 400 applications have been made to the FLAG programme this year. All applications were reviewed by individual FLAG Boards in each of the seven FLAG regions throughout Ireland. Projects must be able to demonstrate a clear link to coastal community rejuvenation, enterprise, innovation, job creation and skills enhancement across the fishing, aquaculture and maritime industries.

West Waterford Festival of Food ,in Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, is one of 44 South East based coastal projects that applied for FLAG funding in 2018. The food festival is an annual celebration of Waterford’s vibrant food culture and features in a new BIM video campaign to raise awareness of FLAG

Over the last ten years the festival has been at the forefront of food events in Ireland, as well as being one of the largest community festivals in Waterford. The theme of the 2018 festival was Celebrating Our Farmers, from the land and sea. Seafood was the central theme of the Saturday Quayside Farmer’s market where visitors were able to sample fresh, locally sourced seafood  and watch a series of live seafood demonstrations throughout the day.

The FLAG programme is co funded by the Irish Government and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). BIM, Ireland’s Seafood Development Agency, administers the programme.

Applications for 2019 FLAG is now open. Details on the FLAG programme and on how to apply can be found at www.bim.ie/schemes/

Video of The West Waterford Festival of Food can be watched here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrjCb3rgD2Q

Caroline Senior, Director of West Waterford Festival of Food, one of 44 FLAG South East based coastal projects that applied for funding in 2018 and features in a new BIM video campaign to raise awarenss of FLAG.