More than 1,000 fishing and aquaculture businesses in England affected by the coronavirus pandemic will receive cash grants through a fisheries support scheme.
Up to £10 million in government grants will be available to support businesses in the seafood sector enabling them to continue operating and find new ways to market and sell their catch.
Environment Secretary George Eustice said, “This £10 million scheme will provide a lifeline for more than 1,000 fishing businesses so they can continue to maintain and operate their boats during this challenging time, which has seen falling prices and lack of demand for fish from the restaurant industry.”
The scheme – which will run for up to three months – will meet the immediate needs of the industry by helping English fishing and aquaculture businesses with fixed costs such as insurance, equipment hire and port costs.
The main features of the scheme are a fund for the catching sector open to under-24m vessel owners with fishing licences registered in England who recorded sales of £10,000 or more in 2019 and grants to cover fixed business costs based on the average costs for the size of the vessel.
Details of the eligibility criteria will be announced in due course by the Marine Management Organisation. Businesses are also encouraged to apply for existing support including the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme and the Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme.
