Scottish trout, shellfish producers awarded Covid-19 relief worth £800,000

The European Union, through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), and the Scottish government have awarded £800,000 (US$981,000) in grant funding to 11 aquaculture operators that specialise in trout and shellfish farming in rural areas throughout Scotland.

The funding will enable the country’s small aquaculture businesses to acquire new equipment and expand their existing facilities after their operations had been adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic .

Of the £800,000, £600,000 (US$735,000) was provided by the EMFF while the remaining £200,000 (US$246,000) was shouldered by the Scottish government.

Earlier in April, the Scottish government had distributed a total of £340,000 (US$417,000) in “hardship payments” to 28 different trout and shellfish farmers, some of whom would also later benefit from the £800,000 grant funding. This comes under the total of £22.5 million (US$27.5 million) that the country has invested to aid the local seafood industry in mitigating the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

More news, opinion and vessel reviews in this month’s Fishing and Aquaculture Week.