There is huge sadness following the death of Donegal teenager Kaitlyn Glackin
Search
05 Mar 2026
Search
05 Mar 2026
Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content.
Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist.
If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter .
Support our mission and join our community now.
To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles!
Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day.
Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism!
Yvonne McCarron, Atlanfish Ltd, second from left, pictured with Paul Ward, Head of Business Intelligence, BIM, Minister of State Timmy Dooley TD, and Katie Healy, Seafood Technologist, BIM.
Carndonagh’s Atlanfish Ltd was among a number of leading seafood businesses from across Ireland to gather in Dublin to take part in a new programme aimed at accelerating growth in Ireland’s seafood industry through customer-focused innovation.
The new programme is designed to equip businesses with the tools and capabilities to embed innovation at the core of their business models and is being run by Bord Iascaigh Mhara, Ireland’s Seafood Development Agency, with support from the Government and the EU under the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund.
Opening the programme, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Timmy Dooley TD, gave participating companies from several counties a stark reminder that innovation has moved from being a discretionary investment to a commercial imperative.
He said: “Changing consumer preferences, retail dynamics and sustainability expectations are reshaping market opportunities. In today’s marketplace, innovation is no longer a ‘nice to have’ – it’s essential for survival and differentiation.”
READ NEXT: Health Minister must act as seriously ill residents deteriorate in defective homes
Similar to other industries, Ireland’s seafood industry faces intensifying challenges caused by volatile trading conditions, including rising costs and inflation and reduced supply, leaving limited scope for price-led growth.
Richard Donnelly, Interim CEO at BIM, said that the programme aims to prompt a broader shift in mindset, encouraging companies to place innovation at the centre of their business models.
“The only way seafood businesses can help defend their margins and unlock new revenue streams is by putting structured innovation frameworks in place. Only by doing this can sustained growth take place,” he said.
Atlanfish, Keohane Seafoods, Bantry Bay Premium Seafoods, Oceanpath, The Garvin Seafoods Company, Achill Oysters and Atlantis Seafoods have been selected to take part in this year’s programme.
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.
This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Code of Practice of the Press Council. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1800 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie.
