Orkney Sustainable Fisheries have been awarded £110,170 for the development of the ‘Orkney Shellfish Project’. £55,085 was from the Scottish Government with match funding from the European and Maritime Fisheries Fund (EMFF).
Other Orkney businesses to benefit are the Orkney Fisherman’s Society Ltd for the ‘Diversification and Enhancement of Orkney Small Scale Coastal Fisheries’ with a grant of £69,299.62 made up of £34,649.81 each from the Scottish Government and the EMFF.
The Harcus Fishing Company has been awarded a grant of £22,090 for an upgrade of the ice machine and weighing system. The award was made up of £5,522.50 from the Scottish Government and £16, 567.50 from the EMFF.
In total, across Scotland sea fisheries, aquaculture and processing businesses will receive more than £8 million of EU and Scottish Government funding.
The latest round of the European and Maritime Fisheries Fund (EMFF) will deliver 41 projects which will contribute to the sustainable management of fisheries and marine ecosystems and help businesses upgrade or modernise their equipment, and move into new markets.
The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation will receive £1.8 million for its independent on-board observer scheme, which supports initiatives to address potential problems related to discard bans.
Fisheries Secretary for the Scottish Government, Fergus Ewing MSP said:
“This £8 million investment will encourage growth and protect jobs in the sea fisheries and aquaculture industry by allowing businesses to upgrade technology and buy new equipment.”
“This is just one example of why EU funding is so important as it is helping the sea fisheries sector improve the quality of its products and enabling them to develop more environmentally friendly methods.”
“We are committed to doing everything we can to overcome the damage Brexit will cause to jobs, trade, education and to our public services. In everything we do, we will continue to champion our shared interests and provide reassurances to fishing communities.”
SFA executive officer Simon Collins said:
“The safety of fishermen is paramount, and this association has long championed the welfare of its members. We’re pleased to be receiving financial support to further our goals in this area.”
Background
Of the £8 million, £6 million of the funding will come from the EU, £1.5 million from the Scottish Government and £0.5 million from other public sources.
The full list of projects receiving investment from the European and Maritime Fisheries Fund is available at:
http://www.gov.scot/Topics/marine/grants-subsidies/awards
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Very good to see such investment in such an important industry for the area. Bear in mind this is not EU money as there is no such thing. This is money the EU collected from European tax payers to distribute as they deemed fit.
Post brexit we need to make sure that similar levels of funding are maintained for such projects by the UK government.
This money was match funded in 2 cases by the Scottish Government. The UK Government did not directly fund any of these investments.