Almost £5 million of European funding has been reeled in for Scotland’s fishing and aquaculture industry.
The latest round of grants from the European Maritime Fisheries Funding (EMFF) scheme will provide £4.8m to be shared across 29 projects in the country, from salmon farming to the shellfish sector.
Rural Economy Minister Fergus Ewing said the cash will provide a “vital financial leg-up” and help to “support the whole fisheries supply chain”.
A total of £827,000 has been awarded to projects in the Western Isles, Argyll and Bute, including funding of £800,000 to the Hebridean Seaweed Company on the Isle of Lewis, £15,000 to the Western Isles Fisheries Association. And £1,176,343 of funding has also been made available for projects in Aberdeenshire, Moray and the Highlands.
This includes almost £700,000 for a seaweed farm in Caithness, £123,000 for a shellfish company in Alness, and £152,000 for a fresh fish company in Banff.
Mr Ewing said: “This seventh round of EMFF grants will provide a vital financial leg-up to projects from the Shetland Islands to Dumfries and Galloway – with the nearly £5m invested helping to support the whole fisheries supply chain to reach new markets, and improving the overall quality of Scottish produce.
“The new funding will also help to support the growth potential of Scotland’s shellfish sector, reinforce the importance of training, health and welfare within salmon aquaculture and a ground-breaking initiative to assess the health of our iconic wild salmon stocks.”