£14 million in grants will help boost north-east marine and fishing businesses
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Businesses and marine organisations in coastal communities will benefit from £14 million in grants from the Marine Fund Scotland 2023-24.
A total of 91 projects, with grants ranging from just under £1000 up to £1.6 million, will support innovation and sustainable practices for the marine economy, including work to reduce carbon emissions.
Projects include modernising seafood processing facilities to reduce energy and increase efficiencies, harbour improvements, supported by community clean ups and marine litter prevention work, to aid decarbonisation, new marine research to drive innovation using the latest available technology and data to protect wild salmon and manage non-native invasive species.
Aberdeenshire based recipients include Shaulora Fishing Limited (Peterhead) - Conversion of vessel to a freezer trawler (£124,000 towards £250K project ); Fraserburgh Harbour Commission - Collaborative approach between a Trust Port and the community through working with schools to educate on the challenge of marine litter, bringing the issue to the wider public and tackling it together £87,310; Buchan Fishing (Peterhead) £13,200 towards purchase and installation of Marport Twin Rig System; Opportunity North East - Development of a Net Zero Innovation Infrastructure project to improve various issues facing the seafood sector£96,988; Robert Gordon University Creation of testing regime for shellfish biotoxins £358,637;Peterhead Port Authority- Upgrades to the units at Seagate beside the harbour quayside £282,783; Aberdeenshire Council - Purchase and installation of smart charging points £18,761; Peterhead White Fish Processors - Purchase and installation of an automated fish processing line £361,144 (50 per cent of project).
The largest award goes to Fraserburgh Harbour Commissioners for structural repairs to Fraserburgh harbour totalling £1,159,520.
In Moray Lossie Seafoods Limited receive £478,000 towards a £1.5 million processing and smoking facility.
Announcing the recipients of the fund, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, said: “The successful organisations and individuals are helping to drive innovation in the marine sector and support coastal communities and I am pleased to confirm such a wide variety of recipients.
“Now in its third year, Marine Fund Scotland has enabled a range of exciting and pioneering projects designed to support our marine ecosystem, improve economic prosperity and enhance social inclusion, all key pillars of our Blue Economy Vision."
The funding includes various harbours from Wick to Eyemouth. Fraserburgh Harbour, home to the Moray East Offshore Windfarm Marine Base, received nearly £1.2 million for harbour wall improvements and a marine litter project.
Pamela Neri, Harbour Development Manager at Fraserburgh Harbour said: “We are grateful for the recent grant assistance from the Scottish Government’s Marine Fund Scotland which plays a significant role in our ongoing development.
“In light of the continual run of recent storms, the award allows us to undertake structural repairs to the Harbour’s breakwater.
"This protects our harbour from aggressive sea conditions, increases our resilience, and safeguards our operations to the benefit of our fishing industry, local community and harbourside businesses.
“The additional funding to enable the purchase of a trash skimmer has allowed us to tackle water pollution and reduce the Harbour’s impact on the environment.”
The 2023-24 Marine Fund Scotland delivers on the Scottish Government’s Blue Economy Vision which was published in 2022.
