Ministers Heydon and Dooley have launched a new fuel support scheme for Irish fishing and aquaculture vessel owners, offering payments to offset sharp fuel price rises driven by the Middle East conflict. Applications are open until 12 June 2026.
The Fishing and Aquaculture Registered Vessel Fuel Support Scheme has opened, with up to €15 million available to eligible vessel owners at what both ministers described as a critical point in the fishing season. The scheme is operated by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) on behalf of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon TD said the Government recognised the “exceptional pressure” the sudden increase in fuel costs had placed on fishermen, farmers, and contractors, with €100 million in total allocated across those sectors. The fishing and aquaculture scheme, worth up to €15 million, sits within that wider package.
Minister of State for Fisheries Timmy Dooley TD, who has responsibility for the sector, said the scheme was “a straightforward scheme directed at those vessels most impacted by the sudden increase in the cost of fuel,” and urged vessel owners to engage with BIM early to avoid delays.
How the Scheme Works
Eligibility centres on two key criteria: vessels must be on the Irish Fleet Register at the time of application, and owners must have been actively fishing between March and July in 2025 (or 2024 as a fallback). Verification will be carried out using SFPA data — either sales notes or logbook days at sea, depending on vessel size.
For vessels over 6 metres length overall (LOA), applications are made online through BIM’s grants management system, with fuel receipts for the period 1 March to 31 July 2025 required. The expected payment rate is approximately 40 cents per litre of estimated usage across the five-month period. There will be one payment per applicant covering the full period.
Smaller vessels — those under 6 metres LOA — will receive a flat rate payment of at least €350 and do not need to supply fuel receipts. They apply through the same BIM online system but face a simpler process.
Aquaculture vessel owners are also eligible, provided their vessel is registered under the aquaculture segment of the Irish Fleet Register.
All applicants must be tax compliant at the time of payment and in good financial standing with BIM. Payments will not issue until State Aid approval is received from the European Commission, given that the scheme operates under the EU Temporary Crisis Framework.
Fishing and Aquaculture Registered Vessel Fuel Support Scheme
Background: A Sector Under Pressure
The scheme comes after months of mounting concern within Ireland’s fishing industry over rising operating costs. The Iran conflict, which flared in early 2026, sent marine fuel prices sharply higher and triggered a response at European level. The European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) Article 26.2 crisis mechanism was activated, providing a framework for member states to deploy emergency fuel aid. Ireland moved quickly to expand its own domestic fuel support package in response, covering both the farming and fishing sectors.
The Skipper has tracked the fuel crisis closely this year, reporting on how Irish and wider EU fleets were being squeezed between elevated fuel bills and quota-constrained catches. That coverage also highlighted the activation of the EU crisis mechanism and the specific steps the Department took to put an Irish support package in place under the Temporary Crisis Framework established by the European Commission.
The timing of the current scheme is significant. The period covered — March to July — takes in the heart of the spring and summer fishing season, when fuel usage across the fleet is at its highest. The scheme is designed specifically to help offset the extra cost borne by vessel owners during those months in 2025, using last year’s verified fuel receipts as the basis for payment.
Who is Eligible
Owners of fishing vessels:
- Which must be registered on the Irish Register of Fishing Boats and Fishing License is in date on the closure date of the Scheme; and who must have been actively fishing from March to July in 2025
- For vessels less than 10m length overall (LOA) this will be validated by ensuring sales notes to the value of at least €400 have been registered with the SFPA in the months March to July 2025 inclusive.
- For vessels of 10m LOA or greater, this will be validated by ensuring logbooks registered with the SFPA show at least 12 days at sea in the months March to July 2025 inclusive.
- If an applicant fails the check based on 2025 data, 2024 will be checked. If they pass the checks on 2024 data, this check will be deemed passed. If they fail the checks on 2024 data, this check will be deemed failed and the applicant will not be eligible.
- Please note that it is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the correct data is registered with the SFPA at the time of their application. If, on the first check, the SFPA data cannot confirm the required level of fishing activity, the application will be rejected.
- Owners of aquaculture vessels must be registered on the Irish Register of Fishing Boats under the Aquaculture segment, and Vessel License must be in date on the closure date of the Scheme.
- All applicants must be tax compliant at time of payment.
- All applicants must be in financial good standing with BIM
Note that where a vessel owner has sold the vessel they had in 2024 / 2025 and acquired a new vessel:
- The fishing record of the new vessel may be used to qualify for the scheme.
- Where the new vessel does not meet the requirements the record for their previous vessel may be used.
- The invoicing / payment documentation record submitted must have been incurred by the applicant and not the previous owner of the vessel.
Amounts Granted
Beneficiary Type Aid Intensity Rate
Owners of vessels < 6m LOA € 350 flat rate
Owners of vessels 6m or greater LOA € 0.40 cents per litre Maximum
In the event the total of all eligible applications exceeds the budget available, the maximum payment per application entity and or the rate per litre may need to be adjusted downward or capped.
Eligible Expenditure
Fuel costs:
- From Republic of Ireland VAT-registered suppliers;
- invoiced between 1 March and 31 July 2025
- If the vessel was not actively fishing in 2025, the applicant may substitute with invoices dated 1 March to 31 July 2024.
- Note that the applicant can only submit 2025 invoices or 2024 invoices and not a combination of both, even if multiple vessels are included in the application); and
- paid for by 31 December 2025.
- No fuel purchased on or before 28 February 2025 (or 29 February 2024 as appropriate) will be eligible. For clarity, please note that if an invoice dated before 1 March was paid in March, it will not be eligible. The invoices must be dated within the range stated above. The payment can be later than the date range above but must be before 31 December 2025 e.g. invoiced in June and paid in August.
Note that eligible vessels of less than 6m LOA will receive a flat rate support, and will not need to provide fuel receipts.
Ineligible Expenditure
Any expenditure other than that defined above.
Appeals
Per standard policy, with the exception that the number of days allowed for an appeal is 10 days.
Payments
Commencing in July and into August
Deadline and Contact
The scheme remains open until Friday, 12 June 2026. Vessel owners who wish to contact BIM about their application can email the Grants Helpdesk at grantshelpdesk@bim.ie.
More details and application guidelines are available at: https://bim.ie/fisheries/funding/fishing-and-aquaculture-registered-vessel-fuel-support-scheme/
The Skipper will continue to monitor the rollout of the scheme and report on payment timelines once State Aid clearance has been confirmed.
