This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Fisheries and aquaculture modernisation
09/03/2004
Fisheries and aquaculture projects across Scotland will receive funding totalling £6.18 million to improve and modernise their businesses.
Allan Wilson, Deputy Fisheries Minister today announced the latest funding to 58 projects through the Scottish Executive and EU FIFG (Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance) grants.
The awards are expected to trigger associated investment of some £10 million and create more than 96 full-time and part-time new jobs in the industry.
The MInister said
"The Scottish Executive is committed to the development of a viable and sustainable fishing industry in Scotland - an important sector of the Scottish economy.
"The awards provide much-needed support and amply illustrate our continuing determination to put the industry on a sustainable footing and to improve product quality at all stages of the food chain.
"Most of the aid is for projects located in fish dependent areas or remote communities whose economies are heavily reliant on aquaculture and fishing. Employment is a vital consideration in such communities and was again an important factor in the assessment of applications received."
This is the sixth round of awards under the European Union's latest Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG) which was introduced in 2000 and will run until the end of 2006.
Applications for the next (seventh) round of awards under the FIFG programme should be submitted to SEERAD by 31st March 2004.
Some £55 million pounds has been made available to Scotland (£17 million for the Highlands and Islands area and £38 million pounds for the rest of the country) under the EU FIFG programme.
Joint Fisheries Management Groups, involving partners from the industry, local authorities and the enterprise network agreed the allocation of funds across the six areas listed below for which schemes are now in place.
- Processing and Marketing
- Aquaculture
- Fishing vessel modernisation
- Fishing port facilities
- Operations by Members of the Trade
- Innovative Measures
The Fisheries Management Groups will oversee the administration of the schemes and regularly review funding allocations in light of experience and demand.
In addition to the FIFG award, there will be a Member State back-up contribution - normally from SEERAD - of at least 5 per cent of eligible costs. Precise amounts cannot be given at this stage, but the minimum contribution for this round will be in the region of £1.9 million.
Some examples:
Johnson Seafarms Ltd, Shetland is to receive an FIFG grant of approximately £199,590 to commission a forward thinking development programme centred on diversification into other species. They propose therefore to diversify into cod production. It is hoped through this development and diversification programme to secure the long term future of the company, safeguarding around 40 jobs, creating a further 25 jobs and ensuring the survival of a major independent local fish farming operation
The Tannery Fishing Company Ltd, Peterhead, which operates the M/V Audacious, has been successful in obtaining a FIFG grant of £147,528 to undertake a pilot project in conjunction with the Greenland authorities researching the viability and sustainability of fishing for deep-water species off the coast of Greenland. If successful and a sustainable fishery can be developed, the Greenland Government will consider offering licenses to EU vessels., including Scottish boats.
Inverawe Smokehouses, Taynuilt award of £376,184 will help the company to construct a purpose built smokehouse adjacent to their existing facility. The new smokehouse will be fitted out with a new range of processing and smoking equipment which will allow the company to double throughput. New equipment for recycling fish waste will ensure that no raw material is disposed of into landfill, as it is at present. The increased throughput will allow the company to increase sales to the delicatessen and food service sectors which have previously been turned down due to capacity constraints.
Grampian Shellfish Ltd, Laurencekirk, has an award of £30,548 to allow the company to improve their facility and invest in new plant and equipment to add value to their plant. This will allow the company to diversify into production of a new range of ready to cook/ready to eat meals.