Government pays out £5.6m to seafood processors

Seafood processors have received £5.6 million in grants from the Scottish government.

The government’s Seafood Resilience Fund was launched in April to assist processors that have been impacted by the collapse of international markets and the shutdown of the UK’s hospitality industry due to Covid-19.

Fisheries secretary Fergus Ewing said he was “pleased” to have been able to support 128 companies across Scotland through the fund, which form a “crucial part of our coastal economies”.

Mr Ewing said: “The Scottish government will continue to work with our seafood sector to provide targeted support and guidance as we begin to carefully move towards the safe restart of the economy.

“As we begin to consider how to recover from the impact of the pandemic, it will be important to explore how to build greater resilience and more local opportunities for people in Scotland and the UK to enjoy our fantastic seafood.”

Jimmy Buchan from the Scottish Seafood Association (SSA) said: “The Scottish Seafood Association is very appreciative of the speed and delivery of the resilience fund for the processing sector.

“This has saved several businesses from failure. By and large, the Covid-19 shutdown affected most Scottish processors, and without the fast action of the Scottish Government would have led to job losses right across the seafood supply chain.”