UK Seafood Fund doles out GBP 21 million in grants

The U.K. Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) announced the awarding of GBP 20.8 million (USD 27.1 million, EUR 24.2 million) in grants to seafood industry projects across Scotland on Monday, 17 July.

It is the latest payout from the GPB 100 million (USD 121 million, EUR 119 million) U.K. Seafood Fund, which was established to support the long-term future and sustainability of the U.K. fisheries and seafood sector through the underwriting of projects related to science and innovation, infrastructure, skills and training, and exports support.

“The fund is a crucial part of our commitment to help level up coastal communities and deliver the prime minister’s priorities of growing the economy and creating better-paid jobs and opportunity right across the country,” U.K. Government Minister for Scotland John Lamont said. “We are supporting fishing communities across the U.K. so they benefit from better infrastructure, new jobs and investment in skills to ensure they have a long-term and sustainable future.”

More than GBP 74 million (USD 96.5 million, EUR 85.9 million) in match funding from alternative private or public contributions is supporting these projects, Lamont said.

The newly funded projects include:

• Fraserburgh, Scotland-based Enter Foods: GBP 700,000 (USD 912,000, EUR 812,000) for a new seafood processing and cold storage facility;
• Peterhead, Scotland-based Alisrose Ltd: GBP 850,000 (USD 1.1 million, EUR 986,000)for a wastewater treatment plant expansion;
• Peterhead, Scotland-based Northbay Pelagic: GBP 5 million (USD 6.5 million, EUR 5.8 million) for an upgrade to its processing facility, including new equipment to boost processing capacity to 35,000 MT annually;
• Aberdeen, Scotland-based AGD Duff and Partners: GBP 400,000 (USD 521,000, EUR 464,000) for modernization of its processing facility, including new equipment;
• Berwickshire, Scotland-based DR Collin and Son: GBP 650,000 (USD 847,000, EUR 754,000) for improvement of its crab-processing lines;
• Shetland, Scotland-based Lerwick Port Authority: GBP 500,000 (USD 651,000, EUR 580,000) for pre-construction costs for a new cold storage and processing capacity;
• Ardessie, Scotland-based Mowi Scotland: GBP 5 million (USD 6.5 million, EUR 5.8 million) for a new state-of the-art, broodstock farm;
• Barcaldine, Scotland-based Scottish Sea Farms: GBP 5 million (USD 6.5 million, EUR 5.8 million) for a new post-smolt facility;
• Tarbert, Scotland-based Tarbert (Loch Fyne) Harbour Authority: GBP 400,000 (USD 521,000, EUR 464,000) for refurbishment of a fish quay;
• Isle of Mull, Scotland-based Inverlussa Shellfish: GBP 200,000 (USD 260,000, EUR 232,000) for improvements to its Mussel farm and shore-based, including adding renewable energy supply;
• Edinburgh, Scotland-based Heriot Watt University GBP 800,000 (USD 1 million, EUR 928,000) for modifications to its spring-toothed scallop dredging system; 
• Edinburgh, Scotland-based MarFishEco Fisheries Consultants: GBP 800,000 (USD 1 million, EUR 928,000) for a nephrops fishing gear trial;
• Inverness, Scotland-based University of the Highlands and Islands: GBP 200,000 (USD 260,000, EUR 232,000) for data collection on the local ling fishery; 
• Aberdeen,  Scotland-based University of Aberdeen: GBP 300,000 (USD 391,000, EUR 348,000) for real-time reporting trial for reducing nephrops bycatch. 

Additional funding remains available for U.K. seafood sector through the fund, and the scope for the fleet modernization through the fund has been expanded to include all commercial vessels. including money to replace or modernize engines to reduce emissions and to improve reliability of existing equipment  or to enable new technologies to be tested, according to Defra.

“The announcement builds on the progress which the U.K. government has already made to deliver a thriving fishing sector outside the E.U.,” Lamon said. “The U.K. government successfully negotiated a significant uplift in quota shares following E.U. exit, valued at around GBP 101 million [USD 131 million, EUR 117 million] in fishing opportunities to the U.K. fleet this year alone. Meanwhile, the U.K. Seafood Fund is investing GBP 100 million [USD 121 million, EUR 119 million] into the long-term future of the U.K. fisheries sector, helping to drive innovation and supporting job creation.”

Photo courtesy of Arild Lilleboe/Shutterstock