£1.4 m boost for fishing and aquaculture projects – Fishupdate.com
£1.4 m boost for fishing and aquaculture projects Published: 21 July, 2011
THE European Fisheries Fund and the Marine Managaement Organisation have just announced funding of more than £1.4 million to several important English based fishing, aquaculture and seafood projects.
About £767,000 of the funding has been awarded to processing companies; £437,000 goes to actions that will benefit groups working in the fishing industry and £245,000 towards a development in the aquaculture sector. The money, awarded to eight individual projects, will help safeguard over 120 jobs and could create up to 18 additional roles. The total value of the projects, when other public and private sector match funding is included, is more than £3.3 million.
The biggest single award approved by the panel of judges was around £489,000 to Jaines and Son, a fish processing and wholesale company which currently employs approximately 30 people in Grimsby. The grant will help the company to relocate to a purpose built facility on the Europarc development to the west of the town.
Catherine Murphy, Programme Manager for the European Fisheries Fund in England, said: By backing the expansion of processing companies the EFF is not just helping to protect and create jobs for people directly employed by them but also helping local fishing fleets too. Supporting companies to increase their processing capacity and expand into new markets could in turn create more demand for local fisheries products.
The funding is also being awarded to support the delivery of training courses for over 3,000 fishermen across the UK, which it is hoped will be of particular benefit in leading to a reduction in the number of accidents, fatalities and vessel losses in the UK fishing industry.
So far this year a total of over £3.5 million has been awarded through the EFF scheme in England to help the countrys fishing fleet. Money is available through the scheme for fishermen, processing and aquaculture businesses, towards marketing fish products and for projects which will benefit groups, such as harbour improvements.
Applications for the fund can be made at any time, however grants over £100,000 are considered by the judging panel which sits on a quarterly basis. Applications need to be received by 21 September for consideration at the next judging panel on 16 November.
Some of the other main awards include:-
· £29,700 to the Centre for Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) towards the development of multiple indicator-based assessment and management frameworks for edible crab and lobster fisheries
· £133,300 to Albert Darnell Ltd (Grimsby), towards the installation of refrigeration equipment and a fish mince processing line
· £78,550 to Brixham Trawler Agents for an electronic registration system
· £245,400 to Sparsholt College in Hampshire, to help them replace their salmonid hatchery. This will improve existing facilities to benefit students and tutors and also to generate income from sales of fingerlings.
· £145,100 to Venture Seafoods, Bridlington, to help them relocate to a new purpose built unit.
· A total of £329,500 to Seafish for two projects – new entrant and safety refresher training. This will support the delivery of 3,000 training places across the UK.