The strategy was prepared by Kevin Bonner the former Secretary General of Ireland's Department of Enterprise and Employment who has chaired a steering group of key officials of state agencies tasked with developing the marketing strategy.

The focus of the marketing initiative will be to pursue new business

opportunities including attracting more shipping activity.

“Killybegs is Ireland's premier fishing port accounting for over one third of all the registered fish landings in the country. It contributes enormously to the economy of South Donegal and of the country as a whole.This Government has already invested €50 million in the development of this magnificent new harbour facility,” stated Minister Coughlan.

She said the role of the steering group was to develop a

comprehensive marketing strategy and implementation plan to serve as a

blueprint for the future expansion of activities in the Port. Every

opportunity to attract new business for the facility needs to be fully

explored to ensure that the full potential of Killybegs is realised, she underlined. This can "best be achieved" by taking into account the perspectives of the various stakeholders including the fishing industry, local industry, offshore sector, commercial traffic and tourism.

The Marketing Strategy operate in conjunction

with two other initiatives, the Harbour Users Forum and the Five Year

business Plan with a view to enhancing and promoting the development of Killybegs Fishery Harbour Centre.

The Harbour Users Forum has been set up in Killybegs to facilitate closer contact with stakeholders including - fishing, shipping agents, tourism and development agencies.This level of co-operation is designed to allow the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to manage Killybegs Fishery Harbour Centre in a more efficient manner. Minister Coughlan encouraged the Harbour Users

Forum to continue its good work and to alert the Department to any potential new business opportunities for the harbour, including opportunities for further diversification.

The Five Year Business Plan for Killybegs and the five other Fishery

Harbours Centres around the country will shortly be published. These plans will provide a blueprint for the operation of the Fishery Harbour Centres in general while exploiting the unique attributes of each individual Harbour. It will set "clear, strategic objectives" for these centres.

Minister Coughlan also said that she had received an independent assessment of the business case for a Border Inspection Post in Killybegs. Based on that assessment, she was glad to announce that she will shortly be asking the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority to establish a Border Inspection Post for a trial period of 18 months in Killybegs Fishery Harbour Centre.

www.fishupdate.com is published by Special Publications. Special Publications also publish FISHupdate magazine, Fish Farmer, the Fish Industry Yearbook, the Scottish Seafood Processors Federation Diary, the Fish Farmer Handbook and a range of wallplanners.

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