Fisheries

Businesses and marine organisations in Scotland’s coastal communities will benefit from £14 million in grants from the Marine Fund Scotland 2023-24.

A total of 91 projects, with grants ranging from just under £1,000 up to £1.6 million, will support innovation and sustainable practices for the marine economy, including work to reduce carbon emissions. Projects include:

An action plan has been published which supports the Culture Strategy for Scotland. The plan provides details of how the Scottish Government will deliver the ambitions of the Culture Strategy.

Negotiations with the EU and Norway on fishing opportunities for 2024 have now concluded. These agreements set out Total Allowable Catch (TAC) limits and management measures for jointly managed stocks.

Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon has praised Scotland’s food and drink sector in a St Andrews Day letter to producers and businesses.

She wrote:

A consultation on Scotland’s Strategic Framework for Biodiversity, including the first 5-year Delivery Plan for the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, and elements of the proposed Natural Environment Bill is still open for comments. 

The marine environment could be better protected and new green jobs could be generated to help create stronger local economies and vibrant coastal communities, according to ‘Our Marine Sector in an Independent Scotland’, a new paper published by Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands Secretary Mairi Gougeon.

Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon and Trade Minister Richard Lochhead have written jointly to the UK Government to voice the Scottish Government’s concern about the possibility of the UK Government negotiating a ‘foundational trade partnership’ with the United States of America, as reported recently in the media.

The Scottish Government today published the Scottish Fish Farm Production Survey 2022.

National Islands Plan Review – consultation events

Scotland’s first ever National Islands Plan was published in 2019 and it is now being reviewed. This review may lead to the publication of a new National Islands Plan.

The Scottish Government wants to hear from island communities and relevant sectors and partners to ensure this process is as thorough and effective as possible, providing us with vital feedback from those most impacted by the National Islands Plan.

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