Shellfish farming in Ireland: an examination of the criteria and objectives for development.

The main reason for establishing the shellfish farming industry in Ireland was to create economic activity and employment in peripheral coastal regions. Whether or not this indigenous marine-based industry is capable of achieving these objectives is central to this doctoral dissertation. The research investigates the location, business creation and development of these enterprises. It identifies critical factors influencing the performance of these farms and assesses whether peripheral enterprises suffer from constraints on their growth because of their location and their social and economic environment. These findings also provide an essential context for assessing the appropriateness of current Government and EU policy in relation to peripheral enterprise development. A longitudinal study of the shellfish industry was conducted over a period of four years and was directed at the shellfish farmer and farm enterprises. The main findings of the research show that successful development of shellfish farming depends on its response to a wide range of competitive threats and opportunities. The research approach adopted a competitive business framework which enabled these factors and shellfish farm business responses to be identified and analysed. The findings also show that in its present form, the industry is essentially a part-time activity engaged in shellfish cultivation and, as such, will be incapable of meeting the broad objectives set for the industry. With the introduction of Government and EU Directives and Regulations, the industry will become a potentially more complex and diverse activity, and will necessitate the employment of a wide range of different farm management skills, practices and technologies. For the industry to succeed however, the research suggests the establishment of a limited number of large-scale farms in core regions. Where the necessary skills could be developed and where economies of scale could be achieved