£5.8 million in grants

Cabinet Secretary for Fisheries and local Moray MSP Richard Lochhead has detailed fifty projects which will create dozens of jobs and safeguard hundreds more in Scotland’s fishing, processing and aquaculture sectors will benefit from grants totalling more than 5.8 million.

Successful projects from the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) include making vessels more fuel efficient, improving quality in the processing sector and trialling a New Zealand system of mussel farming.

Local fishermen in Moray are set to benefit from the measures, which include grants to fishing organisations and money to better promote Scottish seafood and improve the market at a challenging economic time.

Richard Lochhead MSP said: " Combined, our fishing, processing and aquaculture sectors are worth more than 1 billion to the Scottish economy, and in these difficult times, it is vital that we ensure they have a sustainable and profitable future.

" I have been hugely impressed by the quality of application we received, and the level of innovation and business acumen on display.

" I am therefore very pleased to be able invest in the successful projects which will strengthen businesses and support our rural and coastal communities.

" This funding will go towards the modernisation of a number of vessels based in our ports, which will include improving catch quality and making some of them more fuel efficient.

" The processing sector will also be able to expand through additional technology being put in place and funds are being made available to fisheries organisations to support various initiatives.

" This announcement should be seen as an enormous vote of confidence in our fishermen and workers in the wider fisheries sector."

Category: Scottish Government News