UK Government announces £360m Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund

The UK Government is launching an ambitious £360 million investment aimed to benefit British fishing and coastal communities, the UK's Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced.

The Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund was announced on Monday 19 May in the wake of the recent UK-EU "Brexit reset" deal, which established a controversial new twelve-year fisheries access agreement with the EU, in addition to establishing a new agreement to eliminate trade barriers for food exports, including seafood and shellfish.

According to Defra, the new fund "will invest in new technology and equipment to modernise Britain’s fishing fleet, deliver new training and skills to back the next generation of fishers and promote the seafood sector to export our high-quality produce across the world."

Defra said the Government's plans would be made public shortly, but include a "cash boost" for new community facilities, improvements to transport links, and investment in apprenticeships.

"The government will work with the industry to target investment where it matters most," Defra said. The Department also indicated that UK government and agencies would be working with fishers on reforming support to enable them to meet safety regulations.

In the same announcement, Defra said that the proposals include an obligation for offshore wind farms to invest into coastal communities.

The UK Government is trying to accelerate the construction of offshore infrastructure in its bid to boost renewable energy production, announcing in January 2025 it was "unlocking" the development of 13 major offshore wind projects.