MFA decommissioning scheme pays out almost £5 million
The Marine and Fisheries Agency's decommissioning scheme for fishing vessels of under ten metres in length is complete with a total of £4,970,905 paid out to scrap 65 boats.
The scheme's aim was to remove as many vessels as possible from the under ten inshore fleet and free valuable quota stock species.
The scheme for 2008/9 began on December 8 with £5 million grant aid available from the European Fisheries Fund. In total the MFA received 181 applications.v
Bids for scrapping were assessed on a competitive basis taking into account pressure stocks identified and vessel capacity units - calculated by boat length x width x engine power.
In the first phase offers of just over £4 million was paid out to the owners of 57 vessels . But there were also 10 fishermen who rejected MFA offers which meant there was £948,405 left to spend.
Re-bids were issued to 91 of the unsuccessful but still eligible applicants from phase one and eight fishermen were offered and accepted decommissioning grants worth £919,314.