The fishing community in Wales is invited to apply to a £1m fund to primarily help mitigate the ongoing impact Covid is having on the industry and adapt to the rapidly changing market conditions for seafood products.
The funding will support investments in the small scale coastal fleet and aquaculture, together with improvements to the marketing and processing of fishery and aquaculture products. However, any project selected and supported under the programme will have to be completed within a 12 month period starting from July this year.
The European Maritime Fisheries Fund (EMFF) is co-financed by the Welsh Government and the European Commission and has supported many projects in Wales since being introduced in 2014.
‘I’m pleased to be able to make £1 million available to support the fishing industry in what remains an incredibly challenging time,’ said Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths.
‘More than £15 million in approved grant awards has already been made for projects across Wales through the European Maritime Fisheries Fund, and a further £1 million of projects are under consideration. 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.’
Lesley Griffiths commented that applicants are encouraged to submit a Project Outline Form to Rural Payments Wales as soon as possible, before completing a full application by 25th March.
Details of the EMFF programme and scheme guidance can be found on the Welsh Government website at European Maritime and Fisheries Fund.
