The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed T.D., last month attended the signing of a contract for a €23.5 million, 216m long quay development project and associated works on Dinish Island, Castletownbere.
Commenting the signing of the document with contractor L&M Keating Ltd, Minister Creed said: “This is a very significant investment for the South West and will be a big boost to the Beara Peninsula and West Cork in general. The project will double the workable quay space on Dinish Island in Castletownbere and will enable significant expansion in fish landings, on shore processing and general marine activity at this major port.”
The project has been proposed for part funding under Ireland’s European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Operational Program, co-funded the Government of Ireland and the European Union.
In addition to doubling of the Dinish Island facility through the provision of 216m of extra landing berth, the project will deliver approximately 2.2 acres of highly usable reclaimed quay storage area, two new major breakwater structures at the entrance to the harbor, the dredging of the navigation channel to -6.5mCD and the dredging of a berthing pocket to -8.5mCD to further facilitate landings by vessels up to 100m length overall (LOA).
The last major landing quay development in Castletownbere was completed in 2010, since then, overall landings into Castletownbere have increased by 60% in volume from 19,030t to 30,522t and 232 % in value from €29.9m to €99.4m in 2017.
The number of landings from other large EU fishing trawlers has increased by 317% from 370 to 1,543 per annum over the same seven year period.