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Expanded Marine Fund Scotland
£16 million investment to support a sustainable marine economy announced.
Projects aimed at supporting Scotland’s marine economy will benefit from £16 million of investment through the Marine Fund Scotland.
Now open for applications, the funding will invest in the marine environment and vital sectors such as fishing and processing, protecting and supporting long-term sustainability and jobs in coastal and island communities.
Last year, 60 projects received funding with grants ranging from around £2,000 up to £1.7 million.
Previously successful projects include:
- support for young fishers to purchase their first fishing vessels
- harbour improvements and the creation of additional fish processing capacity
- support for fishers to develop their businesses and provide improved safety training for fishermen
- innovative processing factory upgrades to reduce energy use and reduce waste
Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon announced that the expanded fund is now open for applications during a visit to Dunbar harbour, the harbour previously benefitted from a grant to improve on site safety.
She said:
“Since 2021, the Marine Fund Scotland has awarded more than £69 million in grants to 390 projects, facilitating a total of £121 million of investment and supporting jobs and communities throughout the country. I urge anyone with a project designed to help marine industries to evolve and flourish to apply.
“It was really valuable to hear first-hand from local fishers about the challenges they face, the pressures on inshore fishing businesses, and their passion and commitment for a sustainable future for the industry.
“We are continuing to back Scotland’s marine economy, which is crucial to the economic, social and cultural fabric of our rural, coastal and island communities.
“We want to invest more in our fishing and coastal communities, unfortunately the unjust decision of the UK Government to allocate a derisory 7.78% of the £360 million Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund to Scotland has directly impacted support budgets.
“When part of the EU, Scotland received 46% of the UK’s allocation of fisheries and marine funding in recognition of our significant marine area and industries. That is why I am continuing to call for urgent action to revisit this decision.
“Together with Scottish fishing industry leaders we have, and will continue to demand, urgent action from a UK Government which doesn’t appear to understand or indeed care about Scotland’s fishing and coastal communities.”
