The government has launched a multimillion-pound fund investing into fishing businesses and coastal communities.
The £360m Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund will “boost” fishing business and coastal communities, with £56m earmarked for those in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
Devolved nations will be responsible for where they spend the money to allow it “to be targeted where it matters most”, Defra said.
“The grit and determination of fishers throughout the UK brings the best seafood to our dining tables and across the world,” fisheries minister Angela Eagle said. “This fund will revitalise the fishing sector and coastal communities right across the UK, spurring growth as part of our Plan for Change.
“Supporting devolved governments with this new funding will help get the money to where it’s most needed, so the sector can thrive for generations to come.”
The Treasury’s Barnett formula, which divides funding to devolved nations to reflect changes in spending levels, was used to allocate the funding.
A total of £28m has gone to the Scottish government, £18m to the Welsh government, and £10m to the Northern Ireland executive.
The fund will invest in the UK’s fishing fleet technology and equipment, train the next generation of fishermen, and support coastal communities by boosting tourism and trade.
The government hopes targeting the funding will create more secure, sustainable, and economically successful fishing and aquaculture sectors.
UK government Scotland office minister Kirsty McNeill said: “Scotland’s fisheries sector and our coastal communities are hugely important and this new £28m UK government investment will help deliver a bright, sustainable future for the fishing industry and those who live on our coast by improving infrastructure, creating jobs and boosting investment in skills.”
Along with the fund, the government hopes to start negotiations for a new sanitary and phytosanitary agreement with the EU this autumn, which should remove barriers for UK seafood exporters.
“There has been commercial fishing in the UK for more than a thousand years,” said chief executive of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations Mike Cohen. “Today, it remains integral to many coastal communities and continues to produce some of the best seafood in the world.
“This funding is enormously welcome and, if properly targeted, will bring social and economic benefits that will be felt for a long time to come,” he added.
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