Fishing sector to receive ‘vital’ cash boost of almost £5 million

European funding totalling almost £5 million will provide “vital” cash to the fishing and aquaculture sector at a time of “great uncertainty”, Rural Economy Minister Fergus Ewing has said.

He welcomed the latest round of grants from the European Maritime and Fisheries Funding (EMFF) scheme, which will provide £4.8 million to be shared by 29 projects across Scotland.

The money will “provide a vital financial ‘leg up’ to businesses across the country, he said, with the money being used to help improve safety by paying for personal locator beacons and life rafts for fishermen as well as funding new equipment.

With the UK due to leave the European Union in March 2019, Mr Ewing said there was no information yet on what would replace the fund after Brexit.

The Fisheries Secretary said: “This seventh round of EMFF grants will provide a vital financial ‘leg-up’ to projects from the Shetland Islands to Dumfries and Galloway – with the nearly £5 million invested helping to support the whole fisheries supply chain to reach into new markets, and improving the overall quality of Scottish produce.

“The new funding will also help to support the growth potential of Scotland’s shellfish sector, reinforce the importance of training, health and welfare within salmon aquaculture and a ground-breaking initiative to assess the health of our iconic wild salmon stocks.

“We are now in a period of great uncertainty for our coastal communities so I’m sure they will welcome this real and practical support from the Scottish Government and European Union.

“At the moment we still don’t know what, if anything, will replace the EMFF after Brexit. The UK Government must provide clarity on that for our fishermen as soon as possible.”