Wales invites bids for £1m in fisheries funding

Seafood businesses in Wales are being invited to submit applications to a £1m fund to primarily help mitigate the ongoing impact Covid-19 is having on the industry and adapt to the rapidly changing market conditions for seafood products.

The window of applications for grants from the European Maritime Fisheries Fund (EMFF) opened yesterday and runs until 25 March. The fund will consider investments in the small scale coastal fleet and aquaculture, together with improvements to the marketing and processing of fishery and aquaculture products.

Any project selected and supported under the programme will have to be completed within a 12 month period, starting from July this year.

The EMFF is co-financed by the Welsh Government and the European Commission and has supported many projects in Wales since being introduced in 2014.

Information on how to apply can be found on the Welsh Government’s website.

Rural Affairs Minister, Lesley Griffiths said: “I’m pleased to be able to make £1m available to support the fishing industry in what remains an incredibly challenging time.

“More than £15m in approved grant awards has already been made for projects across Wales through the European Maritime Fisheries Fund, and a further £1m of projects are under consideration.”

She added: “As the European Commission funding is only available until 2023, this £1m will primarily focus on providing support to help the industry mitigate the ongoing impact of Covid and adapt to the changes in the market for seafood products.”

A scheme to replace the EMFF in the long term is currently being developed and is expected to be available later this year, the Welsh Government said.