UK fishing businesses will now have access to GB£24m of investment to develop technology, trial new gear and support research to improve industry productivity and long-term sustainability.
The funding released by the UK Government to support better science and innovation projects is the first part of the GB£100m UK Seafood Fund designed to level up coastal communities across the UK.
The UK Seafood Fund “will ensure industry is able to process more fish landed in the UK, and create more job opportunities across the supply chain,” said the Government. “It will also upskill the workforce and train new entrants, as well as investing in technology to put the UK at the cutting edge of new safe and sustainable fishing methods.”
Three funding pillars
The GB£100m fund has been divided into three pillars.
The science and innovation pillar will see the fishing and seafood industry supported to work jointly with scientists to research new types of more productive and sustainable fishing gear, gather new data to more sustainably manage the UK’s fish stocks, and trial projects such as new biodegradable packaging for chilled fish and seafood to reduce single-use plastics.
An infrastructure pillar, to be announced later in the autumn, will invest in projects to strengthen the supply chain in the UK, allowing the industry to make the most of increases in quota secured through the Trade and Cooperation Agreement. Potential projects include funding for the modernisation of ports, logistic hubs, freezing facilities, improvements to processing plants and new fish markets.
A skills and training pillar will support career opportunities and upskilling in the sector, which often has lacked formal routes for training and progression.
