Fisheries

The achievements of Scotland’s top land-based and aquaculture trainees were celebrated last night (Thursday 7th March) at Lantra Scotland’s ALBAS (Awards for Land-based and Aquaculture Skills) at the Crieff Hydro Hotel in Perthshire.

The latest round of awards from the first year of the Marine Fund Scotland (MFS) has provided fishing businesses and marine organisations in coastal communities with £7.4 million in funding.

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:

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.