The Scottish Marine Fund is to offer seafood businesses and marine organizations in coastal communities up to £14 million of funding. The aim of this measure which will be available in 2023/24 is to encourage the sustainable use of Scottish marine resources as well as support economic growth.
The Scottish Marine Fund was created after the UK's exit from the EU to replace funding for the fisheries and seafood sector previously available through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). Since then it has been working to make Scotland more competitive and this fund of £14 million is proof of that.
Donna Fordyce, the Chief Executive of Seafood Scotland said that "the Marine Fund Scotland has been crucial in the promotion of Scottish Seafood." Moreover, she explained that it also takes on greater relevance after the context of inflation and the war in Ukraine which have been added to the impacts of Brexit and Covid-19. "We are now also amid a costs of living crisis, which requires continuous effort to ensure that the quality and affordability of Scottish seafood is recognized." She stated.
"Marine Fund Scotland has been crucial in supporting marine businesses and projects over the past two years." Said Mairi Gougeon, the Rural Affairs Secretary, "I look forward to many more exciting and innovative initiatives benefiting from it over this coming year."
Some of the projects that benefited from the fund included measures such as the modernization of a salmon and trout processing plant to reduce energy and water consumption, as well as the installation of solar panels on a seafood cold storage facility to reduce its carbon footprint.
Applications for funding can be submitted through an operational web portal beginning at 10 a.m. on April 11, 2023.