Representatives from the UK fishing federations made the case for the £360m allocated to the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund to be well targeted and spent strategically in recent discussions with the UK fisheries minister.

Daniel Zeichner spoke to representatives from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on 17 June on a range of issues, including the fund.

Speaking to the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Affairs and Islands Committee the following day, Elspeth Macdonald, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF), said it was ‘very important that the fisheries sector is the key beneficiary’, referencing the original announcement which suggested the fund could be used to ‘boost tourism’.

She continued: “I think we were very clear that this fund – whatever it looks like in the long term – has been made available in context of the fishing deal with the EU, which is very much to the UK’s disadvantage, so we would very much be wanting to see that scheme targeted at fishing, and not at things that may be unrelated.”

Speaking to FN, Mike Cohen, chief executive of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO), who was also on the call, said: “We still don’t have a lot of detail on that fund. We’ve heard positive noises from government about this being targeted towards the catching sector and focused on activity to drive growth, which is all really positive. But the devil is in the detail, and there is a lot of detail still to fill in.”

The discussion with the minister included suggestions that money be focused in areas including recruiting more young people into the industry, improving facilities in ports to help land and store catch, and developing new markets for the catch.

Industry representatives also raised concerns that smaller fishing businesses can face barriers to accessing such funds due to a lack of experience in completing funding applications and because of government spending rules, which generally mean money has to be spent in the financial year in which it is allocated. This can also prevent funding for multi-year projects, which the federations agreed were essential.

Calls were also made for the fund to be front-loaded, with a greater amount of the allocated £360m being spent in the earlier years – because the industry needs support now, to stimulate growth, and because the current government cannot guarantee funds beyond the end of this parliament (mid-2029 at the latest).

“National federations will have different ideas and different priorities,” Mike Cohen acknowledged, “but we were all saying the same thing when it comes to making that available to the guys on deck.”

The Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund was announced by Keir Starmer on 19 May, alongside the EU-UK deal, but over a month later, further detail has still not been provided. The UK Government has said it is ‘committed to working closely with the industry and local communities in order to ensure investment is targeted to where it is needed most’.

Scottish Government cabinet secretary for rural affairs, land reform and islands Mairi Gougeon has previously called for a ‘fair share of the UK-wide fund to be allocated to Scotland’, and for the administration of it to be devolved to avoid ‘stakeholder confusion and dilution of intended benefits’. The UK Government has committed to ‘work closely’ with the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

With the NFFO representing members in both England and Wales, Mike Cohen said: “Our Welsh members have been saying that they’d like a devolved element to this, and given that fisheries is devolved, there is a strong argument for this.

“At the end of the day, I just want to see this money going to the areas and the projects where it’s going to bring growth and bring long-term benefit. Generally, the fishing industry has to be treated more strategically – we can’t keep doing everything so piecemeal if we want it to reach its potential.

“The minister got a very clear and united message from everybody. and I’m hopeful that he heard and he listened,” Mike Cohen continued, “but it’s one thing convincing the fisheries minister, it’s another thing convincing the Treasury.”

When asked by FN about timescales for the fund, Defra replied that further details on timelines and applications will be released in due course. Its spokesperson said: “This government is backing coastal communities and the fishing industry by investing £360m, helping to secure the future for the next generation of fishers as part of our Plan for Change.”

APPGs to consider industry funding priorities

Daniel Zeichner is to join the All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) on Fisheries and Shellfish Aquaculture for an online parliamentary seminar on investment on Wednesday, 25 June.

The APPGs issued a joint statement on the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund, welcoming the fund and ‘its aim to drive growth and boost the sector by investing in the industry and coastal communities more broadly’ as well as the UK Government’s ‘commitment to work with the industry to target investment where it matters most’.

The two groups say they ‘recognise that a long-term strategic approach to supporting and investing in fishing, aquaculture, seafood and coastal communities is crucial not only to ensure a viable future for the UK’s coastal communities and the long-term sustainability of marine ecosystems, but to long- term domestic food security and meeting commitments on climate and biodiversity’.

APPGs are informal cross-party groups run by members of the UK Parliament, which can provide a forum for debate, discussion and learning on their specific topic.

The session on 25 June will bring together parliamentarians, policy-makers and sector professionals to explore what effective, targeted funding might look like and the steps needed to ensure the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund becomes an effective vehicle for investment.

With the particulars of the fund still to be devised, the session aims to illuminate industry priorities, reflect on learnings from previous funds and outline industry needs for investment across the themes of people, food, nature, resources and community.

APPG on Fisheries co-chair Melanie Onn MP (Labour) said: “From catching to processing, the value of the UK’s fisheries sector is not easily quantified, but integral to communities around this nation’s coasts.

“We welcome the announcement of the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund, and the assurances received from the minister that the fund will be devised with the sector to target investment where it matters most.

“Since the reformulation of the APPG on Fisheries last autumn, we have heard from industry of investment needs relating to addressing skills gaps, infrastructure needs and more broadly towards future- proofing the industry and fisheries.

“It is vital that sector voices are heard so that the fund is set up to effectively support the future of our communities.”

‘Investing in UK Fishing, Shellfish Aquaculture and the Coast’ will be held on Zoom on Wednesday, 25 June from 10am to 11.30am. You can register here.

This story was taken from the latest issue of Fishing News. For more up-to-date and in-depth reports on the UK and Irish commercial fishing sector, subscribe to Fishing News here or buy the latest single issue for just £3.50 here. 

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