Marine fund grant for fishers and processors
FISHING businesses and marine organisations in Scotland have been awarded funding to mitigate the impacts of Brexit, help the sector recover from effects of Covid-19 and protect the environment.
The financial support of almost £800,000 – part of the £14m Marine Fund Scotland - was announced by Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon in a food and drink debate in the Scottish Parliament.
Recipients in the latest round of awards include the Independent
Fishers Science Support Scheme
(nearly £360,000) to support onboard observers on fishing vessels, £280,000 to Seafish for fisher training and the Solway Marine Litter project (£41,060). Fish processor and supplier Downies of Whitehills, based in Aberdeenshire, is to receive around £206,000 towards a new store and freezer.
Gougeon said:“Our producers, farmers and fishermen showed tremendous spirit as they navigated the pandemic and now face the stark realities of a new operating landscape brought about by a reckless Brexit deal.
“Daily, we hear of new and emerging challenges: shortages of HGV drivers and workers in processing and manufacturing, as well as associated skills shortages across the industry.”
She said that labour and skills shortages typified the hard Brexit that had been imposed on Scotland. Meanwhile, the UK Government-led Scottish Seafood Industry Action Group convened for the first time this month in an online meeting chaired by UK Government Minister for Scotland David Duguid.
The Action Group is a successor to the Scottish Seafood Exports Task Force, which wound up earlier in the year after producing a report outlining problems for the sector and priorities for action. Some actions have been carried out but others, such as setting up a fully digital system for environmental health certificates (EHCs) are still works in progress.
The SNP had criticised the decision to end the Task Force, but Duguid said the Action Group would continue to address the issues identified.
Duguid said, following the Group’s first meeting:“There was good news on progress on digitisation of paperwork for exporters and we are raising concerns with the EU about plans that would mean each animal for live export would have to be counted, possibly adding unnecessary stress for shellfish such as crabs and lobsters.
“A priority for the industry is the issue of labour shortages and this is something we are in the process of considering.”
In August, the seafood trade body Seafish announced that new health certification rules, which would have applied to seafood exporters in Great Britain exporting to the European Union would not come into effect until 15 January 2022.They had been planned to take effect from 21 August, but the industry asked for more time to prepare for the change.
As well as requiring more detailed information to accompany seafood consignments bound for the EU, EHCs will from 15 January have to be signed off by an official veterinarian.At present, environmental health officers are authorised to sign EHCs.
One easing of the rules will be that clinical inspections of listed and vector species can take place up to 72 hours before loading, rather than being limited to 24 hours ahead.