- £20 million awarded to modernise and improve infrastructure
across the seafood sector, with a further £30 million available
from today;
- Funding will boost economic growth, create jobs and support
businesses to invest in greener technologies;
- Final round of the Fisheries Industry Science Partnership
(FISP) scheme will launch next month
Funding to boost the UK fishing
industry through projects to upgrade infrastructure and revive
local docks has been announced today, as the latest round of
investment opens for bids from the UK-wide £100 million Seafood
Fund to modernise the sector.
Winning projects set to receive
a share of £20 million include the expansion of processing
facilities for popular British fish like Scottish salmon and
Cornish sardines, alongside money to bring an ageing dry dock
back to life.
The UK Seafood Fund is a
landmark government investment supporting the long-term future
and sustainability of the UK fishing and seafood industry, with
the infrastructure strand of the Fund helping to pay for upgrades
to ports, processing and aquaculture facilities so they can meet
future demand whilst also boosting jobs and economic
growth.
As well as announcing the
winners from the first round of this scheme, the government has
today also confirmed a further £30 million will be made available
for infrastructure projects as the latest round of funding opens
for bidding.
The infrastructure scheme also
supports businesses to become more environmentally sustainable,
with successful bidders in Round 1 investing in greener
technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to
more reusable materials.
Fisheries Minister
said:
“Fishing communities
are an important part of the UK’s heritage and they
make a valuable contribution to our economy, so we are backing
them with funds to boost growth and opportunities across the
industry.
“This funding will ensure
seafood businesses throughout the supply chain are well-equipped
to keep pace with increasing demand at home and abroad, boosting
production and sustainability and building a resilient sector for
the future.”
Successful bidders from the
first round of infrastructure funding will receive a share of £20
million from the government, matched with nearly £50 million of
investment from private sources. They include:
- HSH Coldstores who are investing in a cold storage and
logistics facility to further expand seafood processing in
Grimsby and generate new jobs in the area;
- Scottish company Denholm Seafoods who will install equipment
to increase production of mackerel and herring landed at
Peterhead;
- Cornish based Falfish who will invest in new technology to
grade, freeze and pack pelagic fish in support of building two
purpose-built Sardine fishing vessels;
- Shoreham Port who are transforming a historic dry dock into a
modern facility for local and visiting fleets.
Tom Willis, Chief
Executive at Shoreham Port,
said:
“We are delighted our
application to redevelop the Dry Dock at Shoreham Port has been
successful. An essential facility for vessel owners, it is one of
the few dry docks remaining in the south of England and is part
of our proud history, serving users since the 1930s.
“When engaging with the fishing
community, investment in improving Dry Dock capability is
consistently highlighted as a priority. The redeveloped Dock will
offer excellent dry maintenance facilities for vessels up to 50m
in length, with workshop access and quayside space. Commencing
shortly, the project will be completed by early next
summer”.
Allan Stephen, Director
at Denholm Seafoods, said:
“We are delighted with the
support we have received from DEFRA, which from the outset has
been highly productive. Securing the DEFRA grant will enable
Denholm Seafoods to invest in our new freezing and production
facilities which will maintain our high quality
product.”
The UK has a thriving seafood
sector with exports of salmon – one of the UK’s most important
exports – worth around £600m annually and other abundant fish
stocks such as Cornish sardines in demand on the continent for
their quality.
For the second round of the UK
Seafood Fund infrastructure scheme, which is worth £30 million
and opens today, businesses will have until March 2025 to deliver
their transformational projects meaning a wider range of
organisations will be able to apply.
Defra will also shortly
announce successful applicants from the Fisheries Industry
Science Partnerships (FISP) scheme, part of the UK Seafood Fund,
which funds data collection and research to support sustainable
fisheries management. The final FISP round will launch in
December 2022.
ENDS
Notes to
editor:
