EU cash boosts isles’ seafood industry

THIRTEEN seafood companies in Shetland have netted just over £750,000 in grant funding from Europe.

Salmon farming trades body Shetland Aquaculture is to receive the largest share of just over £300,000 to help develop alternative ways to control sea lice in farmed salmon.

This latest round of grants brings the total amount secured by local businesses through the European Fisheries Fund to £8.4 million since February 2009.

On Wednesday, the Scottish government announced funding for 16 projects for the northern isles, 13 of which are based in Shetland.

Seven of these are small grants ranging from £800 to £39,500 to local fishing boats to upgrade their vessels.

Four larger grants went to three shellfish farming businesses:

• Yell based C&A Thomason received £177,600 to expand production;

• SI Seafarms Ltd were awarded two grants of £14,095.15 and £98,260.80 for a mussel farm development;

• and £30,482.89 went to Hunter Shellfish to upgrade a workboat.

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Shetland Aquaculture’s biological sea lice management pilot project has been given £306,278.40, while Shetland Seafood Quality Control is to receive £47,786.13 to improve their service.

Most of these grants were agreed as early as October but have only now been announced to coincide with the year end fisheries council in Brussels.

Shetland Islands Council development manager Douglas Irvine said the role of council staff working closely with Shetland businesses had been pivotal in attracting the high level of financial support from Europe.

The council has contributed £614,000 to lever in the £8.4 million, which has enabled a total of 48 businesses to carry out 63 projects with an overall capital value of £25 million.

Irvine said: “In three years we have seen this grant funding being combined with just under £16 million of businesses’ own funds towards valuable fisheries projects.

“These investments will go a long way to ensuring the fisheries sector remains the cornerstone of our economy in the future.”