The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee has called on the government to prioritise the “wild catching” sector in the UK Seafood Fund.
Efra chair Robert Goodwill told the government the fund should be used to improve the fuel efficiency of vessels, arguing that this would help fishers with increased fuel prices while also delivering environmental benefits.
In a letter to Defra minister Victoria Prentis, Goodwill said that how the fund was spent had to better reflect its aim of making the fishing sector “ready to catch the extra quota that is coming our way”.
“I couldn’t agree more with Minister Prentis that we need to prepare the fishing fleet to catch the extra quota that is coming our way,” said Goodwill. “It follows that the fishers braving all weathers to catch those fish must be prioritised when allocating the new funds.”
The committee also recommended that the size of the UK Seafood Fund, established in 2021 to support the UK fisheries and seafood sector following Brexit, be increased by 50% to £150m.
It said that this was due to the high level of interest in the first round of infrastructure funding from ports, fish farms and processors – to which the catching sector couldn’t apply. The committee said that by increasing the fund, it would ensure there was enough money to fund investment both in wild catching and other sectors including aquaculture and port infrastructure.
Additionally, Efra asked that the government provide support to help individual fishers and other small business apply for funding.
“Our fishers must be given every help to maximise their opportunities,” added Goodwill. “That means increasing the size of the pot and ensuring there is enough time to apply for the new money.
“If smaller operators need help filling out what are sometimes fearsomely complex application forms for these funds, we think they should be given that help.”
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