Press release
Marine and Fisheries Agency (Communications)
Area 6C, 3-8 Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2HH
Tel: 020 7270 1985
Date: 25/05/2007 Reference: 08/07
£3M boost for English fishing industry
Grants worth £3 million to modernise and enhance the competitiveness of England's fishing industry have been awarded following an assessment panel.
The grants will attract a further £5 million from other sources.
A total of 39 projects ranging from small scale vessel modernisations to major port improvements were agreed under the FIFG scheme run by the Marine and Fisheries Agency. For details of the successful applications see the table below. They include:
Fishermap - £100,000 over the next 2 years.
Fishermap is a large scale pilot project across Devon, Dorset and Somerset to map the activities and knowledge of fishermen. It is part of Finding Sanctuary a project that will plan and identify a network of Marine Protected Areas around the coasts and seas of South West England. The mapping technique has been tried in the Greater Thames Estuary and formalises and communicates the knowledge fishermen have of the fisheries ecosystem.
Dorset Handline Fishermen's Association - £25,000
To improve the quality of the catch through better handling of fish and improved temperature control.
Other grants include: Bolton Abbey Trout Hatchery - £7,000 to drill a bore hole to supply a hatchery with a biosecure source of water.
Shoreham Harbour – £29,000 to install pontoons to give vessels secure berthing with electricity and freshwater supplies.
North Eastern Sea Fisheries Committee - £30,000 for the first phase of a lobster stock monitoring project with the overall goal of ensuring the sustainability of commercial shellfish species and achieve MSC accreditation on lobster within the district.
MFA Chief Executive, Nigel Gooding, said: "This round of awards of public money will make a real difference to the industry in terms of sustainability and competitiveness. It represents a confidence and willingness to invest in the industry. There is a bright future for those who are willing to work at introducing innovative, market orientated approaches to their businesses wherever they are in the fish food chain."
We anticipate that there will be sufficient funding to hold a further panel in the autumn for small scale, short term projects including a limited range of safety equipment that can complete and claim by June 2008. Applications must be submitted by Friday 7 September after which the FIFG scheme is closed. Successful applicants will be notified in October.
Public consultation on the successor scheme, the European Fisheries Fund, is expected in the summer and will start in 2008.
Final amounts in the South West subject to confirmation
FISHING VESSEL MODERNISATION |
|
|
||
|
|
|
|
|
Company |
Location |
Project |
FIFG (£) |
MFA (£) |
C B Jeffrey |
Durham |
Improvements to Fish Quality |
2,985 |
4,975 |
Jubilee Fishing Company |
Grimsby |
Improvements to Working Conditions |
2,817 |
4,695 |
R Calvin |
Cumbria |
Diversification and Safety Improvements |
22,105 |
36,842 |
McLeod Trawlers |
Devon |
Improved Hygiene and Working Conditions |
14,545 |
24,242 |
|
|
|
42,452 |
70,754 |
|
|
|
|
113,206 |
PORT FACILITIES |
|
|
|
|
Company |
Location |
Project |
FIFG (£) |
MFA (£) |
The New Orford Town Trust |
Suffolk |
Refurbishment of Quay |
91,101 |
|
Yorkshire and Humberside Whitby Shellfish |
Scarborough |
Shellfish Holding Facility |
172,904 |
|
Shoreham Port |
West Sussex |
Pontoons with Electricity and Water Supply |
28,915 |
|
Dorset Handline Fishermen’s Association |
Dorset |
Insulated Bins and Ice Plant |
21,834 |
3,669 |
Bridlington Shellfish Company |
East Yorkshire |
Shellfish Tank Upgrades |
14,750 |
|
Independent Shellfishermen’s Co-Operative |
East Yorkshire |
Improved Handling Facilities |
31,705 |
|
City of London Corporation (Billingsgate) |
London |
Better Quality Cooling and Ventilation |
99,003 |
|
Barrow Borough Council |
Cumbria |
Improved Landing Facilities |
20,000 |
|
Newhaven Enterprises |
East Sussex |
Landing/Berthing Quay Development |
38,457 |
12,819 |
Yarmouth Harbour Commissioners |
Isle of Wight |
Development Study |
26,000 |
|
North Sunderland Harbour Commissioners (Seahouses) |
Northumberland |
Gear Stores |
462,500 |
|
|
|
|
1,007,169 |
16,482 |
|
|
|
|
1,023,657 |
PROCESSING AND MARKETING |
|
|
|
|
Company |
Location |
Project |
FIFG (£) |
MFA (£) |
The Blue Seafood Company |
Devon |
Improved System to minimise Environmental Impact |
38,598 |
38,598 |
Whitby Seafoods Limited |
North Yorkshire |
Refrigeration Equipment |
19,507 |
6,502 |
J Sykes & Sons |
Lancashire |
Construction of New Cold Store |
147,488 |
147,488 |
J & P Exotics |
London |
Temperature Controlled Facility |
2,998 |
999 |
Kim Son Ltd |
London |
Cold Store Facilities |
50,516 |
16,839 |
Box Clever |
Grimsby |
State of the Art Box Wash Factory |
132,000 |
132,000 |
Coombe Fisheries |
Devon |
Whelk Waste Disposal |
5,723 |
5,723 |
Roach Brothers |
Hull |
Extension and Installation of Smoking Units |
55,356 |
18,419 |
Norman Rogers |
Grimsby |
Upgrade of Premises |
63,678 |
63,678 |
Three Oceans Fish Company Ltd |
Hull |
Thermal Oil Fryer and Steam Deglazer |
42,116 |
14,039 |
Browse Brothers |
Devon |
Factory Upgrade |
5,175 |
1,725 |
S & J Fisheries Ltd |
Devon |
New Processing Unit |
51,333 |
17,111 |
|
|
|
614,488 |
463,121 |
|
|
|
|
1,077,609 |
PRODUCT PROMOTION |
|
|
|
|
Company |
Location |
Project |
FIFG (£) |
MFA (£) |
SFIA- Seafood Week |
Edinburgh |
National Marketing Campaign 2007 |
257,750 |
|
|
|
|
|
257,750 |
SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS FROM THE INDUSTRY |
|
|
||
Company |
Location |
Project |
FIFG (£) |
MFA (£) |
Shell Fishermen Association of GB |
London |
Implementation of National Shellfish Development Strategy |
12,938 |
|
North Eastern Sea Fisheries Committee |
Yorkshire |
Lobster Stock Monitoring |
31,722 |
|
SFIA – Lean Manufacturing |
Edinburgh |
Introduction of Lean Six Sigma Techniques to Industry |
31,000 |
|
Seafood Cornwall Ltd |
Devon and Dorset |
Extension into Devon and Cornwall |
50,000 |
|
Whitby & District Fishing Industry Training School |
North Yorkshire |
Foundation in Fishing Course |
18,567 |
|
Whitby & District Fishing Industry Training School |
North Yorkshire |
Pre-apprentice Course |
18,267 |
|
Seafood Training Centre |
North Shields |
Skills Hub |
|
|
|
|
|
300,216 |
|
|
|
|
|
300,216 |
INNOVATIVE MEASURES |
|
|
|
|
Company |
Location |
Project |
FIFG (£) |
MFA (£) |
South West Food and Drink |
Devon, Dorset and Somerset |
Mapping Fisheries Activities and Knowledge |
102,537 |
|
Warkworth Harbour Commissioners |
Northumberland |
Siltation Study |
14,998 |
|
|
|
|
117,535 |
|
|
|
|
|
117,535 |
AQUACULTURE |
|
|
|
|
Company |
Location |
Project |
FIFG (£) |
MFA (£) |
Bolton Abbey Trout Hatchery |
North Yorkshire |
Bio Secure Source of Water |
2,858 |
4,764 |
Riverside Rainbows |
Devon |
Improved Recirculation System |
73,950 |
123,250 |
|
|
|
76,808 |
128,014 |
|
|
|
|
204,822 |
|
|
Total |
|
£3,094,795 |
Notes to Editors
The Marine and Fisheries Agency is an executive agency of government which is tasked with service delivery, inspection, and enforcement provided by the government to the fishing industry and other marine users in England and Wales.
The MFA has overall responsibility for the enforcement of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) and its associated regulations within the 60,000 square miles of English and Welsh waters.
Any vessel, regardless of size or nationality, fishing in British waters is subject to routine inspections which are designed to protect the interests of the fishing industry as a whole.
MFA's key objectives are:
- to be a key partner in the management of marine fisheries
- to enforce regulations, professionally, consistently and fairly
- to contribute to the sustainable use of the marine environment
- to provide specialist information to inform the development of policy and its effective implementation.
MFA press contact: Peter Hooley 0207-270-1985 / 07771-505-655
Page last modified: 25 May 2007
Page published: 25 May 2007