Crown Estate Scotland fires back over funding issue

Crown Estate Scotland, the body that manages the state’s coastal assets, has responded to suggestions that rural communities are not getting a fair share of the public funds raised from levies on the fish farming sector.

A spokesperson for Crown Estate Scotland said: “The seabed is a shared, public space and, like many multi-national businesses, salmon farmers pay to use it for their commercial purposes. Crown Estate Scotland then passes profits to the Scottish Government and Ministers decide how that money is used.

“From 2017 to 2021, over £28m from Crown Estate Scotland was passed by Scottish Government to coastal local authorities to support COVID-19 recovery projects, economic regeneration and job creation, flood protection, environmental projects, and more.”

Industry body Salmon Scotland called, earlier today, for £10m of the £20m or so raised in rents and levies on aquaculture each year to be invested in communities in the Highlands and Islands, especially to improve the availability of affordable housing.

As well as a number of rural rents and salmon fishing rights on land, Crown Estate Scotland is responsible for the leasing of virtually all seabed out to 12 nautical miles, covering some 750 fish farming sites and agreements with cables & pipeline operators, and the rights to offshore renewable energy and gas and carbon dioxide storage out to 200 nautical miles from the shore.